Ghost Hunt
by LKHanamura
Summary: Truths are revealed and more cases to come.
1. Truths Revealed Part 1

It has been two weeks since they finished their last case. Naru sat alone in his office. Both Lin and Mai had gone home for the night. And yet again, he was forced into a 'date' with Masako. He respected her ability in her field, but there were no romantic intentions from him towards her. It was all because she figured out that he was actually Oliver Davis.

Opening his top drawer in his desk he let a small smile play on his face. It was a family picture. Himself, his twin brother and their adopted parents. The Davises were good people and they did dote on himself and his brother more than he thought someone could. His smile faded and his eyes became distant as he landed on his brother. He was the only reason why he had come to Japan. To find his brother's body and then go back home to England. But nothing. He had hoped, that if he came to Japan, it might be easier for him to contact him but he has had nothing happen yet.

Sitting the photo down in the drawer again he shut it then stood and left his office. His apartment not that far away. Lulling over what he should do next to find his brother. Though he knew that what he had to do in the morning was going to be something even more difficult for him. He was going to end the tie that Masako had on him so he would not feel obligated to go along with her.

As he reached his apartment he found Lin standing by the entrance. "What are you doing here? I thought you had already went home."

Keeping his eyes closed and his arms crossed Lin sighed. "I got a bad feeling. I called you but you didn't answer your phone. Nor your cell."

With a sigh as he dropped his head Naru walked on past him. "Come in. There is something you need to know about before it happens anyway."

Opening his eyes and watching him walk past him Lin sighed. "Another case?"

"Truths."

Following him into his small apartment, Lin half glared at him. "What do you mean truths?"

Taking his coat off and dropping it on the chair, Naru then sat on the couch and leaned his elbows down on his knees as he bowed his head. "I am sick of this charade I have been carrying on. Naru is just natural for me to answer too. It is so much like Noll after all. But it is time that they knew why I am here and who I really am. Miss Hara most of all."

Gasping Lin took a step back. "Are you serious?"

"I am Lin. She claimed a spirit told her, yet the first meeting I had with her, the day after she told me she knew who I was. And that if I didn't want the others to know I had to agree to go on 'dates' with her."

"So that is why you have been doing that."

Nodding as he leaned back on the couch Naru sighed. "It is driving me mad. At first it didn't bother me but now that….." Then his eyes took on a distant look as flashes of not only Gene but Mai flew through his mind. "Mai. She is the reason I can't do it anymore."

Blinking as he sat in the chair Lin gave him a odd look. "Mai?"

Another long sigh and Naru looked his friend in the eyes. "I see it in her eyes. I know how she feels about me, and as much as I hate to admit it….."

With a sigh as he closed his eyes Lin half smiled. "You have also developed feelings for her. It is only natural after all. You are only human."

Glaring as he stood and headed for his room Naru let out what sounded as an annoyed growl. "At any rate, first thing in the morning I am going to have Mai call everyone to the office and tell them all."

"And Mai?"

"In time. I am not sure how to do that one yet."

"Masako?"

Stopping at his bedroom door, Naru turned back to Lin. "Will be told bluntly that things will no longer carry on between us as they have. Oh and another thing, I want you to start training Mai."

Jumping to his feet Lin glared. "What? Why would I do that?"

Smiling a true smile for the first time in a long time, Naru slowly turned back to his bedroom. "After all if things between us do happen, she will need to at least know how to defend herself. You wouldn't want me to go off in a rage if something happened to her now would you?"

Glaring then turning around and heading for the door Lin sighed. "Fine."

Hearing the door slam Naru laughed slightly then went on in and got ready for bed. As he let his eyes drift shut, he was filled with worry on how everyone would take the news that he had for them. And was still trying to work out how he would or should tell Mai what was going on. All he knew was that he was, and would decide what to do next about her depending on her answer to his question.

X

With a smile Gene stood in his brother's bedroom window. It was time now to reveal the truth to Mai. About who he was and why he was coming to her. Though that was going to be the only thing that he was going to tell her. 'Don't worry dear brother. She loves you as much as you are beginning to her and everything will work out.'

X

With a stretch and a yawn, Mai climbed into bed and let out a long sigh. Naru and Lin had her running all over the office for them. Making tea. Calling different people, and seven people showed up asking for help, and of course all of which Naru turned down. Then she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. As just as she was getting ready to ask Naru if he wanted to go and get something to eat with her, Masako showed up and asked him first. And once again he agreed and went with her without question.

Rolling over on her side she let her eyes drift shut as tears trailed down her face. It was beginning to look like that the only time she would ever have any affections from Naru was in her dreams. Where she hoped that he would come tonight. She had every intention on asking him exactly what was going on between him and Masako.

X

"Mai. Wake up."

Opening her eyes Mai looked up into Naru's eyes, but he was glowing. Just like in her dreams. She looked around as she sat up, she was still in her room. "Naru is this a dream?"

"Yes Mai it is. But there is something that I need to tell you."

Turning to him with worried eyes Mai blinked a few times. "What is it? Has something happened to someone?"

Shaking his head Gene kept his smile. "I should have told you this sooner Mai. From the very first time that you saw me in your dreams. It was wrong of me, and I am sorry."

"Told me what Naru?"

"I am not Naru."

Gasping as she started to scoot away from him, her eyes filled with fear. "Who or what are you then if you are not Naru?"

Reaching out and grabbing her hand to stop her Gene laughed. "I can't tell you exactly who I am. But you know someone whom I have been trying to reach for some time and for some reason cannot. It will all be made perfectly clear to you tomorrow. The one thing I do want to make sure you understand from me tonight, is that I will not abandon you anytime soon. Until you are able to decipher dreams from reality I will guide you."

Her eyes streaming down her face Mai looked up into his eyes. "Please can't you just tell me your name? Or the name of the one that I know?"

Shaking his head as he stood up Gene smiled. "I cannot just yet Mai. You will put everything together tomorrow I promise. Trust me."

Never having had any reason not to trust this Naru look alike in the past, Mai nodded with a smile. "I trust you. I always thought you were Naru. I wish you had told me from the start, but you never lead me stray before."

"And I never will. Nor will your friends either."

Mai watched as he just faded out of sight then sighed as she laid back down. Wondering how she was going to piece together what he said she would tomorrow. "He prolly doesn't realize how much of a slave driver Naru is."

X

Not being able to sleep hardly at all the night before, Mai decided to get to the office early and start sorting through messages, and have everything ready for Lin and Naru's tea when they got there. Though her mind did often travel to what the guy in her dreams that is Naru's twin but not Naru told her last night. 'I hope I find out soon.'

"Why are you hear so early Mai?"

Shaking her head Mai looked up and then smiled. "Well I couldn't sleep last night so I figured that I would get hear early and get started so I didn't wear myself out again today."

Lin nodded as he walked toward his office. "So then I take it that you have tea ready?"

"All I gotta do is add the water."

"Good. Bring me some."

Nodding as he headed for his office Naru nodded. "Indeed. Hot tea does sound good."

After their doors shut, Mai sighed as she walked over and started pouring their tea. "Like I didn't know that. Six months I have been here and they act like I don't know my way around here anymore." First she took Lin his tea. "Here you go Lin."

"Thanks."

Then going in Naru's office she smiled. "Here you go. Extra strong just like you like it."

Reaching out and lifting the cup Naru took a drink. "Good. I have something I need you to do today other than the norm."

With blinking eyes Mai tilted her head as she gave him a worried look. "Like what?"

Not even looking up from his book, Naru sighed. "Call Monk, John, Miss Matsuzaki, Miss Hara and Yasu and have them all come here around noon."

"Sure. Do you have another case for us?"

"No. You will see when they all get here."

With a sigh and a glare. "Fine." Then she left his office and sat at her desk. 'Always keeping me in the dark about everything!'

X

It was now 12:30 PM and John had just arrived. When Mai called him he said he would be a half hour late that he was doing a house cleansing for someone and couldn't be there by noon. But now that he was there, everyone was. Going to his door Mai opened it and popped her head in. "Hey Naru."

"Is he here?"

"Yeah John just got here. I am going to make everyone some fresh tea okay."

"Good I will be out in a moment. Tell Lin to come on out and wait for me."

"Okay." Mai then poked her head in Lin's door. "Hey Lin, John is here. Naru said he wants you to come in and wait with the rest of us out here."

"Fine."

Blinking as she walked past everyone she sighed. "This is strange."

"What's strange?"

Glancing toward Monk she sighed as she turned back to make everyone tea. "Well when they first got here everything seemed normal. But now I don't know. It is like something big is going to happen but not a bad thing."

Monk sighed as he dropped his head. "I see. I just hope he don't have something that he needs physical work for. I am beat."

Smiling as she was getting ready to put the water in the tea cups Mai laughed. "That's right. Your mom and dad wanted you to help them at the temple yesterday didn't then. I bet that would have been funny watching you doing all that work."

"Mai if you wouldn't mind. I will do the tea for Naru."

Looking up to see Masako standing behind her Mai sighed. "I got it. His is in with everyone elses."

Reaching out and stopping the tea pot Masako closed her eyes. "I will be making the tea. Simply show me which one is for Naru and…"

"Miss Hara."

Mai and Masako looked up to see Naru walking out of his office. Masako smiled. "Hello Naru."

With a sigh as he closed his eyes and headed toward where his chair was and sat down. "I told Mai to make tea for everyone. It is her job. I expect her to do it. Now if you would take your seat and let her see to it."

With a mix of hurt and jealousy in her eyes Mai let go of the tea pot and then moved to sit down. "Very well."

Mai sighed as she finished making the tea and handed it out then sat down between Yasu and Lin. Across from her was Ayako, John and Monk, and then directly across from Naru across the table was Masako. She sighed as she dropped her head. She didn't want to be jealous but she couldn't help it when it came to them. Masako may think that she got special treatment but it was so the other way around.

Naru sighed as he crossed his arms. "There are a few things that you all need to know. Over the last six months you have proven to me that you all have your own talents. Miss Matsuzaki included with the last case. Because of that fact, I have decided that there are a few things I must reveal to everyone here."

Everyone just starred at him with blinking eyes. Finally it was Yasu who spoke. "What is that?"

"Kazuya Shibuya is only one name that I go by. It was a name given to me by my Japanese parents. Though they died before I was one year old."

With blinking eyes John was the next one who spoke. "So what is your other aliases?"

"They are not aliases John. I have the nickname that you all call me thanks to Mai, Naru. I also go by an English Name."

"English!?"

Opening his eyes to see shocked yes, all except for Masako who looked more terrified than anything. "My English name is one you all know. And with the exception of Mai have admired for what he can and cannot do in England."

This time it was Ayako who broke the silence. Her eyes were as wide as they could go and she was shaking. She pointed a finger at him as she jumped to her feet. "There is no way that you are really…."

Nodding with closed eyes and a calm demeanor, Naru sighed. "I am Oliver Davis."


	2. Truths Revealed Part 2

His eyebrow twitching when everyone jumped up with a scream. Save two of them. Lin and Masako. Before anyone could say anything though he stood and turned as he walked to the window and looked out at the now falling snow. "That is not all."

Everyone slumping down on the couch, Mai dropped her head. "I don't think that I could take anymore Naru. Or I mean Oliver."

"Naru will be just fine Mai. In fact the reason why I was initially shocked the first time you called me that was cause it sounded somewhat similar to what my brother use to call me. Noll."

"Wait you got a brother?"

Turning to look Monk in the eyes, Naru's were cold and serious. "Yes. In fact he is the only reason why I am in Japan. He was just as talented in PK as I am. He came here to learn Shinto style exorcisms, but was run over and killed one night on his way home. His body dumped in a lake. Though I am not exactly sure which one."

Her eyes sad as she looked at him Mai sighed. "I am sorry. How old was your brother?"

Turning back to the window Naru sighed as he dropped his head. "Seventeen. He was my identical twin brother. His name was Eugene Davis. Everyone called him Gene. Though here in Japan I am sure he went by the Japanese name we were given at birth. Kazuyo Shibuya."

With each word that Naru said, Mai's eyes were getting wider and wider and wider and wider. Identical twin! That had to be who she has been seeing in all her dreams! It was Gene! He was the one who has been guiding her and helping her to unlock her abilities! The shock of the news though proved too much for her and she let her eyes roll back in her head as she fell to the side in a dead feint on Lin.

Looking down Lin gasped. "Mai are you okay?"

Turning to look at Mai Naru sighed. "She feinted. I will finish filling her in when she wakes up." He then walked back over and sat in his chair. "The power to see a spirit is the one thing that I was never blessed with. I could only see them if they wished to make themselves visible to me. Gene on the other hand could. I know he would have tried to find some way to contact me once I got in Japan but for some reason either hasn't or isn't able too."

Standing and moving Mai further up on the couch, Lin sighed. "Nor have I been able to summon him either."

Standing with a smile John walked over and held his hand out to Naru. "Reguardless of what name you go by, Oliver, Kazuya or Naru. You are still a friend and I look forward to many more cases with you."

Looking up at him with an emotionless face, Naru then shocked everyone as he stood and shook John's hand. "Thank you John."

Standing with smiles, Ayako, Monk and Yasu all smiled and laughed. Ayako then moved to his side and hugged his arm. "Well then. Now I have more of an incentive to pursue you."

Giving her his classic glare, Naru sighed. "No."

Moving through everyone else, Masako then moved between Ayako and Naru and hugged his arm. "This is wonderful news. Now I can start calling you by your true name is public when we go out."

With a sigh, Naru dropped his head. "Miss Hara…"

Looking up at him with a upset look Masako gripped his arm tighter. "I wish just once you would call me by my first name."

"This is not going to happen anymore."

Gasping as her eyes go wide, she looks up at him with hurt clear in her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Ignoring the gaping eyes, Naru turned and looked straight down in her eyes. "The only reason why I went and did anything with you, or put up with your childish flirting was for one reason and one reason only. You knew who I was from the beginning and used that to your advantage knowing I didn't want anyone else to know. There were never any emotions other than that of a friend or coworker when it came to you. Now that everyone knows, there is no reason for me to keep with the charade of it all."

Still clinging to his arm Masako felt her tears falling. "You mean that you never even once started to have any feelings for me other than that?"

Naru shook his head as he moved from her grip. "You diluted yourself into thinking if you forced me to have contact with just you alone after hours that it would cause feelings to stir for you. All it did was annoy me to no end. Forcing someone to spend time with you will not cause the right sort of feelings to develop for you Miss Hara. I would still like for you to work with us on cases. But that is where our relationship stops."

Dropping her head and fighting back the urge to sob Masako covered her mouth. "It's Mai isn't it? She is the reason for this. If she had not been in the picture then I would have been able to….."

"My reasons are my own. Mai around or not it would have never worked out the way you planned it. I detest being forced into things."

Turning her back to him, Masako was shaking now. "I will have to think about this Oliver. I do not know if I will be able to work with you again knowing you do not feel the same as me." Then she rushed out the door, slamming it behind her.

Hearing snickering behind him, Naru turned to find Monk, Ayako and John laughing. "Was something about that funny? While I do not have any romantic feelings for her, I didn't wish to hurt her either. I had to thought to get my point across."

Winking at him, Ayako smiled brightly. "No. Do you remember, when Masako got you to go investigate the park, and for helping she asked you to have dinner with her and you went?"

"What about it?"

Looking down with a smile at the sleeping Mai, Monk crossed his arms. "Mai was so torn up about that, that to cheer her up, I took her on a 'date' with dinner and a movie with Ayako and John being our double date. Right before that though we figured that she had some sort of dirt on you but didn't know what it was."

Nodding John was now sitting again. "That's right. At first we thought maybe it was because her father was a financial backer for SPR. We had no idea it would have been something like that."

Naru didn't say anything just let his eyes rest on Mai. He doubted that they would ever see Masako on a case again, especially if she accepted what he had to tell her. Something told him that if she trained more powers would come out and she would be able to do the same thing as Masako.

He then turned to everyone else and sighed. "In any event, there is one more thing. In the event that I am able to locate my brother's body, I will need you all to help me with trying to contact him and bringing the woman to justice."

Nodding Yasu smiled. "We can all do that. I would even like to help too. I could do research into the clues that you all tell me about."

"I would appreciate that Yasu thank you."

He then said his goodbyes to everyone and saw them out. He then walked over and sat on the table facing Mai. "I wonder."

"What?"

Looking up at Lin then back down to Mai he sighed. "Why hearing that I had a twin brother shocked her so much she feinted like that?"

"I don't know. I am going to go and call your parents and let them know what is going on and fill them in on different things."

"Okay. Tell them I will call them later."

"Right."

X

Jerking awake and shooting to a sitting position, Mai gasped. That was when she noticed that she was sitting next to a lake. "A lake?"

"So do you know who I am yet Mai?"

Jumping and then looking to her right she gasped as she scrambled to her feet. "You are his twin brother! No wonder I mistook you for a nicer version of Naru. Or I mean Oliver. Or what was the nickname he said you gave him….."

Laughing as he stood in front of her Gene reached out and laid a hand on her head. "When we were first orphaned, we were placed in an orphanage in the community that we lived. We knew limited English as those that ran it and the biggest majority of the children were Japanese who moved to America. We were adopted when we were five by a couple that lived in England. The Davis's. They gave us the names Oliver and Eugene. I couldn't get it right away and ended up saying Noll and it just stuck. We were known as Gene and Noll from then on."

Her eyes now crying as she looked up at him, Mai gave him a pleading look. "What happened to you Gene? And more importantly why have you been coming to my dreams since I met Naru?"

"You have a great deal of power inside you. I will stay with you until you unlock it all and can do it. But I want you to give my brother a message for me if you wouldn't mind."

Whipping her tears with a smile Mai nodded. "Of course I will. I would love too."

Moving his hand from her head, Gene turned serious. "Tell him that I will have to go through you for messages. In your dreams. A channeling won't work since no one he knows, you included have the same level of powers that we have."

"But why don't you just tell him yourself?"

"I have tried. I cannot reach his mind for some reason. Be him awake, asleep or even when he is relaxed. It is like something is blocking me."

"I will tell him." Then she looked around hoping to see something she could use.

"No use in that Mai. This isn't the lake. This is the lake that I was visiting daily to watch the Shinto monks go through the rights of exorcisms. He has been here many times he knows this isn't the lake."

"Oh." She looked up to ask him something else but he was gone and she was in a black room. 'I guess that's it then.'

X

Slowly opening her eyes, Mai saw the ceiling of the office. Then she gasped as she sat up quickly and looked around. No one was there. Then she dropped her head. "Oh man they all left. And I didn't get to hear the rest of what he was going to say."

"Not everyone is gone Mai."

Jerking around, Mai found herself looking at Naru as he walked closer to her. "Naru…." Then her eyes filled with tears as she dropped her head into her hands and sobbed. She knew she had to tell him but didn't know how to tell him or how he was going to react. When she felt arms wrap around her from behind she gasped as her breathing stopped. Naru was the only other person in the room with her! 'Oh man!'

"I did not think me telling you I had a twin brother would have made you feint like that Mai."

"Naru…it wasn't that."

"Let me finish what I said before you speak okay."

Dropping her head, as her hands gripped his arm she nodded.

Leaning his head down on the back of her neck, Naru sighed. "I actually live in England. And plan on going home at some point. It could be in six months or it could not be for ten years. I am here in Japan because of what happened to my brother Gene. He came here to study Shinto exorcisms and was killed when a woman hit him with her car. She dumped him in a lake after that. I have to find him." He took in another deep breath as his hold on her tightened and became shaky. "I had not planned on making friends with anyone. I had not planned on depending on anyone. But that was all before I met you."

Shaking just as badly as before Mai gasped. "Before you met me? Naru what are you talking about?"

With a sigh he sat up and pulled her back against his chest and sighed as he inhaled the scent of her hair. "I had hired you for that first job at your school because I needed help hauling the equipment around. It goes faster when there are two working. But I was impressed and that was why I offered you a full time job. But as time went on, and the more cases we got…."

"What Naru?"

Sitting her up Naru then turned Mai to face him as he cupped her face with his hand. Smiling as her face turned red. "The more I was around you. The more dependable you came. The more understanding you were with not only me but everyone. The more I couldn't help but fall in love with you Mai."

Gasping as she froze Mai's eyes went as wide as they could. He was truly smiling at her and had just said that he had fallen in love with her! Just to make sure that this wasn't Gene telling her this she dug her nails into her hand. She felt the pain as she did so. She was awake. This was really Naru telling her this.

Dropping her head as she placed hand on his hand Mai was shaking violently now. "Don't play with me Naru."

His eyes going wide as he looked at her Naru blinked. "Play with you?"

Tears now dripping from her nose Mai kept her head down, holding his hand on her face. "If there is something that you want me to do for you just ask me. You know I would do anything you asked me to do Naru. Don't toy with me and tell me that you are in love with me to get me to do it then turn me away after it is done."

With a softer smile, Naru used his other hand and forced her to turn her crying eyes up to his. "There is nothing I want you to do for me other than be at my side Mai. And when the time comes for me to go home, I want you to come with me."

"So you really mean it?"

Leaning his face down into hers he smiled. "I truly mean it. I have been lulling it over in my mind since we went to the bloodstained labyrinth if I should tell you everything or not. But it was our last case. And how you and Monk took charge and not only solved the case, but saved me as well. I knew beyond any doubt I had to tell you." Then before he could say anything else he closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers.

Mai placed her hands on his chest as she melted into his arms the second that his lips touched hers. After a few moments when he pulled his lips from hers she looked up in his eyes as she threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. "You just have no clue how happy you have made me Na…or Oliver."

Wrapping his arms around her Naru laughed. "Don't call me that. You calling me anything other than Naru just doesn't sound right."

Easing out of his arms Mai smiled. "Right. Saying Oliver doesn't sound right either." Then she dropped her head and sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"I have something I need to tell you and I don't know how you are going to react to it. Could you kiss me just one more time before I do?"

"Mai…"

"Please."

Lifting her head up to his he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a long kiss then smiled. "Nothing you could say to me could make me turn away from you Mai."

With her eyes full of worry, she held onto his shirt again. "You swear?"

"Yes."

Swallowing hard Mai kept his eyes with him. "You know how I have told everyone that I see you in my dream visions? And you told me that it was nothing more than my mind projecting my power in a form that was you."

"Yes."

Closing her eyes for a moment, then opening them to reveal tears that streamed out. "It was never you. It was never my mind giving my power a form that looked you. Last night he came to me again and said things were going to be made clear to me today. Then after I feinted I saw him again."

"Mai you are talking in circles."

"It was your brother. My guide in my dreams was never me projecting my powers so they look like you. It was your brother Gene."


	3. Truths Revealed Part 3

Starring down at her in shock, Naru couldn't move. Gene has been the one guiding Mai? Dropping his head and hiding his eyes Naru was shaking now. "It was my brother?"

Seeing the sudden change in his mood, Mai let tears stream from her eyes as she stood up and walked over to the window. "Yes. He asked me to give you a message."

"What was that?"

Hugging herself as tears flooded out of her eyes, Mai shut her eyes and dropped her head. "He told me to tell you that if you two want to send messages back and forth. He said that he has tried time and again to get through to you since you got to Japan. He doesn't understand it, but he can't reach you no matter what, not even in your dreams. I didn't think to ask about Lin." When she still didn't hear him move she sighed as she whipped her eyes. Then without even looking up at him she walked over and got her coat. "I am sorry Naru. I would have told you sooner but even he didn't tell me. I called him Naru and he responded that is why I thought it was me projecting you. I am going to call it a day and go home for a while."

His eyes going wide as he jerked his head up Naru gasped. He jumped from the couch and rushed to the door, shutting it as he stood behind Mai. Dropping his head he pulled her back to him and wrapped his arms around her again. "Don't leave."

A sob catching in her throat Mai just stood there. "I didn't think you would stop me. But is it because of me or is it because I can see…" Then she gasped when a hand covered her mouth.

Dropping his head so that his forehead was now resting on her head Naru sighed. "The fact that I can find out from my brother exactly what happened and where he is at is what rendered me speechless. The fact that it is the woman I love that can help me is something wonderful. I am sorry I worried you when I went quiet. I just wasn't expecting that."

Turning her to face him Naru smiled as a single tear streamed down his face he then leaned in and gently kissed her lips. After he pulled back from this kiss, he hugged her to him with a sigh. "You just have to be patient with me Mai. Other than my mother, father and Gene I have never really shown emotions to others than you before."

Sobbing into his chest, Mai clung to him. "I honestly thought that I would be told one day that you and Masako…"

"The only reason why I did anything with her when not working was because she knew right off the bat who I was and used that to get me to agree to things. Otherwise it wouldn't have happened."

Looking up at him through red eyes Mai blinked. "So you never liked her?"

Shaking his head as he ran his hand through her hair with a smile Naru sighed. "No."

Burying her face into his chest Mai let another torrent of sobs out. Clinging to him like he was life itself. She never wanted to wake up if this was truly just a dream. But something told her it wasn't.

Turning and leading her back to the couch, Naru slipped her coat off of her and tossed it to a chair. "Why are you still crying?"

"I don't know. I just can't believe that this is happening all at once. It is a little much."

"I don't follow."

Glaring up at him Mai crossed her arms. "Realizing the you that I see in my dreams isn't you, or my power formed to look like you, that it is your identical twin brother. Then you telling me that you love me. Who you really are." Then she sighed as she dropped her head. "I just never thought that you would have fallen for me. Like I said I honestly thought that you and Masako would have ended up together and I would be forever on the outside looking in on something that I have wanted since the day you told me I was going to work for you."

"I see." Turning her to look at him Naru smiled. "That is not something that needs to be thought about now though. As much as I hate to admit it, you had been out for the biggest part of the day. We will be staying late and getting work done."

Gasping as her face turned red and she jumped up off the couch. "Oh man! I totally forgot! Even though we are together….." Then her words trailed off as she turned to the now standing Naru. "We are officially together right? Like I don't have to hide it from anyone?"

"That's right. No hiding it."

With a smile, Mai pulled a shocked gasp from as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him quickly then headed for her desk. "Good. I don't know how long this would stay a secret."

With a smile Naru headed for his own office. He would talk to her more about what he wanted her to tell Gene on the way home that night as he walked her home.

X

"We are taking her to him. I cannot do this anymore!"

"I agree but what good will it do? What if that thing doesn't follow her and it stays here?"

"It will. Just like when they were kids. But your brother isn't here to drive it out anymore. I refuse to deal with it again! Both of them with their powers. It is just pure evil that they do anything like this."

"I agree. I called the last place that we know where he was. They said that he is with their son in Japan."

"He can't even keep his heritage as Chinese going there. Oh well. Find someone to take her, I refuse to go there."

"I agree. I have already arranged for the neighbor to take her to the airport. And a taxi from the airport to go to the place he is working doing Psychic stuff."

"Hence the reason why he is going to be the perfect person to send her too. And I am done. No more kids. Our dogs will be our kids."

"Agreed."

X

Steps could be heard and black eyes turned to the door just as it opened. Seeing her mother standing there the young girl started shaking. Her chains rattling as she hugged her knees to her chest. Fear shinning back in her eyes.

The elderly woman glared in the room at her daughter. There was something wrong with her and she knew it. But it was nothing she wanted to deal with. "First thing in the morning you will be catching a plane to Japan. Look for your last name as you get off the plane. The driver will take you to your brother."

Blinking as her eyes went even wider, the girl stopped shaking. "I am going to stay with my brother?"

"That's right. Your father and I have already signed the guardianship papers. When you get there have him sign them and then it will be done."

Nodding her head, the girl forced herself not to smile. "Yes Ma'am." When all she got was a disgusted look before the old woman left, the girl sighed. Once the door was shut and it was completely dark she let a true smile play on her face. "Big Brother will know how to help me. Uncle taught him more than he could me. He will help me."

Then she let out a started gasp when she heard a loud boom in the room somewhere. He was back. She shut her eyes and covered her ears, but the next three booms she knew were coming, could still be heard. Then she screamed when she felt something grab her leg and jerk her down so that she was now flat on the bed. "What do you want with me? What did I do?" Tears now streaming from her eyes.

"Soul."

The raspy growl of a voice was more than enough to cause the girl to freeze. Then just as suddenly as it was there, it was gone and the room was not heavy nor held fear for her. Scooting back up on the bed she hugged her legs as she cried. 'At least I hope he can help me.'

X

Leaving the office, Mai was thrilled when Naru said he would walk her home. That he wanted to see where she lived. She felt like she was a little girl again as they walked side by side and hand in hand. She knew she could face anything knowing that he would help her. But knowing how much he really did care seemed to give her more strength.

After a few blocks Naru sighed. "Mai, about the message that Gene gave you. About going through you for messages."

"Yeah do you have something you want to tell him?"

"I want to know where he is at. I have to find him, and take him home not only for me and him. But our mother and father as well."

Nodding Mai smiled. "Sure. I will ask him. When he told me the message he wanted me to give you, we were at the lake where he watched the Shinto exorcisms. He did tell me then that it wasn't that one."

Nodding as he followed her lead around another block, Naru sighed. "I knew of only that lake that he went past or too and it was that one. My first order of business was to search that lake. It was after that when I didn't find him that I set up Shibuya Psychic Research. I knew if I did enough cases of Ghost Hunting, that I would find something that could help me."

"I see." Mai then smiled as she stopped in front of her apartment building. "Well here it is. Home sweet home."

Looking up at the building in question, Naru was dumbfounded. He knew she was paid enough to live someplace better then this! "Seriously?"

Nodding Mai pulled him on in the door. "Yeah. It is cheap rent, and I knew just about everyone in the building and they are really nice. And the best part, with the exception of your brothers visits in my dreams, no ghosts. Or at least none that do anything."

When he reached her apartment, he smiled as she pulled him in. "So this is it?" His eyes softening when he saw just how modest she really did live, despite the good pay she has gotten the last six months.

Mai nodded as she hung her coat on the wall. "Yep. This is home. She then walked past him and into the living room and pulled the curtain back with a smile as she looked out at the city lights. "I am one floor above the building next to me, so I can have a great view of the city lights from here. I love it."

Walking up behind her he nodded. "It is a good view. For now though I will bid you goodnight Mai. I need to go home and call my parents and let them know what all is going on."

"I thought Lin already did that?"

Dipping his head and kissing her Naru smiled. "He did but if I do not call at least my Mother once a week to let them know what is going on, they worry. It will be no different with you when they meet you. Until morning."

Smiling as she walked to the door with him, then shared one last kiss Mai nodded. "Yep. See you then."

Once she shut the door behind him, Mai smiled as she leaned against it and slid down to the floor. "Oh man, I couldn't say it. I wanted too though." Then she jumped at the knock on the door. Standing up she opened it to see Naru still standing there. "Naru?"

Pulling her into his arms, Naru kissed her one more time. Showing this much affection was totally out of character for him. But there was something about this woman, he couldn't help it. After he pulled his lips back he smiled at her. "I love you Mai."

Her face glowing red with a bright smile Mai nodded. "I love you Naru." Then she kissed him one more time and shut the door. This time she waited to hear his footsteps walk away before she jumped up in the air and threw her hand up. "Yes!"

She then methodically went through her routine as she got ready for bed. Laying down she felt her eyes drifting shut. She was excited but at the same time she wasn't. She wanted to tell Gene what Naru said, but was worried about what he was going to say in response. Giving in she fell asleep quickly. And for the first time in a long time she wore a smile on her face.

X

"Mai."

Opening her eyes she sat up to see Gene standing at the foot of her bed. "Gene?"

"That's right. Congratulations."

Blinking as she let her head fall to the side, Mai arched her eyebrow. "For what?"

"You and my brother. I was with you and him all day. I know what all was said and I know his message for me."

Gasping as her face went red, Mai dropped her head. "I didn't know that. So you know his question then right?"

Nodding as he sat down on her bed next to her, Gene smiled. "Tell him that there are a few things that he has to be able to focus on right now other than finding the woman who killed me. Starting with a case that they are going to need your help with tomorrow."

"What is it?"

"You will see tomorrow. Whatever Lin gives you once it is made clear what you will be dealing with, never take it off till he says otherwise."

"Why?"

"You will understand tomorrow."

Mai then gasped as he just vanished. "Well then. I guess Naru will have to deal with this message back then huh. I wonder what he could be talking about for tomorrow." Laying back down she sighed as she curled up in her blankets. "Oh well. Guess I will find out tomorrow just like I found out today that he wasn't really Naru."


	4. Ling's Soul Part 1

Walking into the office, Naru and Lin both blink when they see Mai already there as well, reading something on her computer. Not even noticing that they came in. Naru noticed that her face was rather serious as he walked closer to her. "Mai?"

Blinking, Mai looked up at Naru. "Hey. I am sorry I just got an email and when I started reading it, it was rather disturbing. And talking in riddles."

Walking around her desk and looking over her shoulder Naru started reading the email. "That is odd. Send them a message back and tell them to be more clear." He then kissed the top of her head and headed for his office. "Mai…"

"Yeah I know. Hot tea would be nice right?"

"Exactly."

Smiling Mai got up and started pouring the hot water in the tea cups. She did this for him and Lin every morning. But this morning it seemed to be less a mindless chore. After stirring the tea she lifted them and headed for Lin's office. Sitting it down next to him she smiled. "Here you go Lin."

"Thanks Mai."

Nodding as she left, she then went to Naru's office and sat it down for him. "Here you go. By the way just so you know, if there is anything you want to ask Gene, just ask it to him. He was here with us all day yesterday. He heard what your message for him was."

Turning to look up at her, Naru sighed. "What did he say?"

"Basically that you need to focus on at least the next case that is coming today. He wouldn't tell me what it was. Just that you guys will need my help with it, and whatever Lin gives me to wear I am not to take it off until he tells me too."

His eyes stern as he looked down at his desk Naru crossed his arms. "I see. Coming from him, this is something that we should focus on."

Nodding Mai then turned to walk away from him and out to her desk when she felt him grab her hand. She turned to him and then smiled as he pulled her down to him and kissed her lips. "Thank you Mai."

"No problem."

X

It was midafternoon and Mai was already beat. Fielding phone calls and sitting with Naru as he talked to five different people that came wanting his help with stuff. And the stuff they wanted help with, was so clearly something that was mental not paranormal even for her. The sudden knock on the door startled her. Walking to the door she opened it to find a terrified young girl standing there with her head down. "Can I help you?"

"Is this where Lin Koujo works?"

"Yes it is. He is in his office. Come in." Mai stood off to the side and watched as she slowly walked in. Her eyes darting around like she expected something to jump out at her. "Have a seat here and can I ask him who is here?"

"Ling."

Blinking as she headed for Lin's door Mai walked in and closed the door. "Hey Lin."

"What is it?"

"There is some girl out there for you. She looks terrified about something."

Stopping what he was doing, Lin turned and glared at her. "A girl? Did she give you a name Mai?"

Nodding Mai took a step closer to him. "Ling."

His eyes going wide Lin was frozen for a moment. Ling! His little sister! Startling Mai, he jumped up from his desk and rushed out his door to see her sitting there in a chair. "Ling?"

Looking up into the eyes of her brother Ling let tears rush as she slowly stood up. "Brother." But when he started to reach out for her, her eyes went wide and she jerked away from him. "Don't touch me!"

His eyes narrowing as he watched her being to shake. Her coat sleeves coming down slightly where he could see the raw skin on her wrists. And no doubt there were the same marks on her feet as well. "Him?"

Covering her mouth with her hand, Ling gave a small nod. "Help me brother."

"Stay here." Lin then turned and grabbed Mai's hand and went to his office pulling a box down from the top of the shelf, then drug her with him into Naru's office. "Naru. We have a case."

Looking up Naru blinked. "What is it?"

Opening the box were a series of charms. "First put these on. You and Mai. Before we call the others in on the case I will have to make some more for them as well." He then handed one to Mai, then one to Naru.

Mai had wide eyes as she slipped the charm around her neck. This is what Gene was telling her about last night. He could have told her that it had to do with Lin's little sister. 'I wonder what is going on with her?'

After putting the charm on and under his clothes, Naru's face was back to his serious look. "What is going on Lin?"

Closing his eyes Lin sighed. "Do you remember the story that I told you about how I figured out that myself and my little sister had abilities?"

Nodding Naru leaned back in his chair. "I do."

"Ling is outside in the waiting room. Judging from her demeanor she has about her, 'he' is back."

"He?"

Turning with a sigh to Mai Lin looked down at the last charm he had in his hand then he closed his eyes. "When I was thirteen, my sister was three years old. I knew I had different psychic abilities and was researching them in secret. My parents saw anything like this as the devils work so I couldn't let them know. Then a demon showed up and began terrorizing my sister and I. My uncle drove him away then and gave us some charms that would protect us physically from the demon." He then pulled a charm from under his shirt. "I have never took mine off. My mother would have thrown my sisters away if she found it. I am sure that he is back." Then he turned to Naru with stern eyes. "This time I don't just want to drive him away."

"I understand. How long will it take you to make more charms?"

"I can have them done by tomorrow."

Standing and walking toward his door Naru nodded. "We will call them in tomorrow then." Then they all gasp when the air in the office gets thick and heavy and they hear a loud scream. Rushing through the door they all stop when they saw Ling grasping at something around her neck lifted a few feet off the floor.

Lin hardened his eyes and walked closer. The closer he got the more growling could be heard in the room. When he reached his sister he glared. "I am not the same scared child this time. And you will fail in what you want this time as well." Then he reached out and touched his sister, catching her as she started gasping for air. "Ling."

Turning terrified eyes up to her brother Ling let her tears fall from her eyes. "You touched me brother. Now he is going to come after you as well!"

"I still have my charm. When did she take it from you?"

Clinging to her brother Ling relished having someone touching her for the first time in so long. "Three years ago."

Though, before anyone could say anything there was a loud boom in the room followed by that same demonic growling they all heard moments before. Ling clung even tighter to Lin, and Mai grabbed onto Naru's arm with a startled gasp.

"Soul."

Lin stood with his sister in his arms and glared at the ceiling. "Go back to hell."

Gasping, Naru noticed that the couch was moving and pushed Mai to the ground. "Lin!"

Turning to see the couch flying at them, Lin fell to the ground with his now sobbing sister with a glare. It was more violent this time. There was something different now than when they were younger. But just as suddenly as all the activity started, it stopped and was quiet. No more growling. The air wasn't thick anymore. Naru rushed over and flipped the couch off of Lin and his sister. "Are you two alright?"

Standing with his sister Lin sighed. "Yeah." He then turned his sister to face him and slipped the charm over her neck. Catching her as she passed out. "I am taking her home and getting started on the other charms for everyone else." Holding her in his arms as he headed for the door he sighed. "Mai. See if you can find a home out in the country that someone would rent to only us for a month. I know what we have to do and the city isn't the best place to do it in."

"Yeah." Mai once again found herself clinging to Naru. After Lin was through the door she looked up at Naru with tear filled eyes. "Naru?"

Turning and pulling her into his arms he sighed. "You will go back to my apartment with me."

"What?"

"After that, you will stay with me until this is taken care of."

Looking up at him Mai saw the worry in his eyes as he looked at the couch. They had dealt with stuff that could move furniture before. But nothing like this. "Alright."

X

"Hello?"

"Aunt Mei."

"Lin? Is that really you?"

With a sigh as he sat on the side of his bed watching his sister sleeping Lin dropped his head. "Yeah Aunt Mei it's me."

"What's wrong? You sound like someone died."

"Mother and Father took Ling's charm from her. Three years ago. When he came back they sent her to me."

"What!?"

"It is different this time. It is more than just trying to scare us. It said soul. Threw a couch at Ling and myself. Had her held up off the floor." Reaching over with his free hand he ran a gentle finger across the raw skin that was still on her wrists. "They had her chained somehow as well. She still has the raw skin on her wrists and ankles."

"What do you need Lin? Do you need more charms? After it showed up then, your Uncle made lots of those charms to keep it from touching you. We tried to give them to family, but none of them took them."

"If you would. I don't have everything I need here in Japan to make them."

"Of course I will. Do you want me to come there?"

"No. I am not going to fight this fight alone this time. Oliver is with me, and there are some rather talented psychic ability people here that are going to help. I just need the charms."

"How many?"

"Five. I had several. I just need five more."

"Right. Keep me informed. I am going to have a talk with your mother."

"Right."

X

Sitting on the couch while she waited on Naru to get out of the shower, Mai could not help but picture Ling's face today. When they rushed out of Naru's office, the look on her face as she was being held off the floor was one of pure terror. "I really hope we can help her."

"Don't worry about it so much. Lin has dealt with this demon before in his past and this time he isn't alone in it." Naru then sat down next to her, smiling as she leaned her head over on his shoulder. He reached over and took her hand. "Stop thinking about it."

Looking up at him with wide blinking eyes, Mai gave him an odd look. "Thinking about what?"

"If you had only told Lin."

Dropping her head Mai sighed. "I can't help it. Everything that Gene has told me in my dreams has always come true. I just can't help but think that if I had told him sooner he would have been expecting this."

Tucking her head under his chin as he pulled her fully into his arms Naru sighed. "He would have never thought that it was his sister coming asking for this kind of help Mai. When they were little and this demon showed up, to protect his sister, he showed his parents the abilities that he had. After his Uncle drove it away, he professed to his parents that he would never use them again. And for about five years he didn't. Then once again to save his sister, this time from bullies he used them again. By this time he was seventeen and his sister was seven. Being seventeen his parents kicked him out and disowned him. From that day until now he has not seen his sister. So even if you told him it was Gene that told you, he would have never thought it would have been his sister."

Nodding as she clung to his clothes Mai just sat there as she starred down at the table in front of them. She wondered exactly what she could do to help this girl. But she knew she was going to do everything that she could to help. Starting with finding a place in the country for them to use first thing in the morning.


	5. Ling's Soul Part 2

Leading his sister into the office, it was clear that neither of them got much sleep the night before. He looked up at Mai who was already heading for the tea and gave her a small smile. Showing his sister into his office he let her sit down on his chair and then headed out to get another one for himself. Once out he saw Mai carrying the two cups of tea. "Thank you Mai. Have you seen about the house yet?"

Waiting on him to grab an extra chair Mai followed him in his office. "I called and left a few messages on some remote places that are out the West side of the city. Naru told me to ask you when you got here if you got them done and wanted me to call the others."

Shaking his head as he sat down and rubbed his head. "I did not. I called my aunt and she was going to send some over that my Uncle made then. Once they get here just go ahead and call them. Let me know as soon as someone gives us a house. And could you have Naru come in here?"

Nodding as she sat the tea down in front of him, Mai smiled at the girl then left. "Sure thing." Coming out she walked over and glanced at the phone and computer and nothing yet. She then poured another cup of tea, figuring he would be in need of some more then walked in Naru's office. "Ready for more tea?"

Sitting his now empty tea cup down Naru smiled up at her. "You know me too well. Was that Lin and Ling that came in?"

Nodding she let her eyes take on a sad look. "Yes. They don't look like they slept at all. Lin wants to talk to you in his office. I am going to go try calling the places I found and see if I can get ahold of someone."

"Good." Naru then followed her out of the office, he turning toward Lin's as she walked toward her own office. Once inside he saw what she was talking about. Lin especially looked like he has been up all night long. "Did you get any sleep?"

Shaking his head no Lin sighed as he dropped his head. "Ling slept more than I did and she didn't get much at all. Everything glass in my apartment is broken, and a few holes in walls."

"He showed up there huh?"

Nodding Lin looked over at his sister as he took her free hand. Her other hand tightly holding the charm that he put around her neck yesterday. "These charms keep him from touching us. And he can't just take them off. That is why he threw the couch here yesterday. And everything I owned around my apartment last night."

His arms crossed Naru's face was serious for business. "I see. The charms? Did you get them done?"

"I did not. I did not have everything I needed to do them here in Japan. I called my Aunt, she is going to send some. They should be here by morning then we can call the others in."

Before anyone could say anything though the door opened and Lin and Naru turned to see Mai sticking her head in door. "Mai?"

Her eyes going from Naru to Lin, Mai blinked. "There is a woman named Mei here for Lin."

Blinking as he stood and headed for the door Lin didn't think she was going to come. Once at the door he looked behind him as he felt a shaky hand grab the back of his shirt. Reaching around and taking her hand Lin walked out the door. "Aunt Mei I told you that you didn't have to come."

Standing holding the box with the charms in it Mei smiled. "I know. But I know that my late husband, your Uncle would have wanted to be here to help you. I may not have the abilities that you two or he had. But I will stand beside you no matter what." She then side stepped and felt her heart break when she saw the state that Ling was in. "Oh my dear Ling."

Lin sighed as he looked down at her clinging to his arm. "Ling."

Looking up at her brother with teary eyes Ling was shaking. She knew who the woman was. But didn't know her personally. In reality she was a stranger to her. And last night for the first time in three years she actually had someone fighting him alongside her in her brother. "I…I…I…."

"Why don't you go with Mai for a few moments while I talk to her?"

Mai caught on to what he was saying and moved to smile at Ling. "Don't worry. Lin gave me the same charm you and he have on. Come on over here with me. You can see what they make me do every day all day long." Then she held her hand out for her.

Ling didn't know what she was going to do at first. But there was something about this girl that drew her into trusting her nearly instantly. "O….okay." Then she reached a shaky hand out and followed Mai over to her computer desk.

Mei sighed as she handed Lin the charms. "I brought all that he made. There are seventeen in this box. And I do not care what you say. From here on out, you are going to be dealing with me. I don't have a relationship with her and I want to build one with her. I am staying until this thing is sent back to hell this time." 

Nodding Lin crossed his arms. "That is the plan."

"Hey guys!"

Everyone turned to Mai as she held up a piece of paper. "I found a place. It is fifty miles outside of town on the North side. Single story, smaller with only two bedrooms. I figured that would be good cause with everything going on you would want us to stay together and not spread out. The owner was wanting to sell it or destroy it. I told him we only needed it for a month or two he said 50,000 yen and we get it for two months then he is going to destroy it and just sell the land."

"Did you tell him anything?"

Crossing her arms as she glared at Lin Mai sighed. "You know after six months of working here and fielding all the phone calls you would think that I know what I am doing over here right? Of course I didn't tell him anything other than we were looking for a place to get out of the city for a while and just sort of distress. Geesh give me a little credit why don't ya?"

Mei smiled as she closed her eyes. "That one doesn't back down from you does she Lin."

Dropping his head and closing his eyes. "Or anyone for that matter." Then he looked at Mai. "Call them, my aunt brought them here herself. All of them Mai, even try to get Miss Hara."

With a smile for Naru Mai reached for the phone. "Right."

X

"Hello."

"Monk!"

With a smile Monk laughed. "Hey Mai what's up? Last time I seen you, you were passed out. Anything knew going on? Like maybe something with Naru?"

Her eyebrow twitching as she closed her eyes Mai growled. "I swear. Yes Naru and I are a couple now but you know I wasn't calling you for that reason you dirty old man!"

"Then what's going on?"

"We have a case. How soon can you get here so we can leave? It is a big one and important. We will explain everything then. But we do need you to hurry. On your way since you go past his place can you stop and get John?"

"Yeah sure. You alright Mai? Something sounds different and I am not just talking about the you and Naru thing."

"You will understand later I promise. Just get John and come on. I still need to call Ayako and Masako."

"Right."

X

"Hello Mai."

"Hey Ayako. What are you doing right now?"

With a sigh Ayako dropped her head. "Trying to figure out a damned way to get out of the medical meeting that my parents want to force me to go to. Please tell me you have a case for us."

"I do. And you need to get here right away. Like hang up and walk out your door. You will understand everything when you get here we just need you to get here. Okay?"

"On my way."

X

"Oliver?"

"No it's me Mai. Look I know you aren't happy with what happened the other day. I know I am probably the last person that you want to hear from…"

"You are together with him aren't you?"

"Yes. But we really need your help with this case we have. Would you please help us?" When all she heard was breathing on the other end Mai sighed as she dropped her head. "Your plan didn't work and backfired yes. But that doesn't mean that we can't all be friends still and work together you know. You really need to stop being so snobby about everything and try living like a real teenager in the real world, not the TV world where you get everything just cause of who you are. I will text you the address of where we are going to be and we really hope you show up." Then before Masako could answer Mai slammed the phone down and crossed her arms. "I swear."

Ling looked at the man standing next to Lin and then back to Mai. "You are with him and she doesn't like it?"

Smiling Mai looked up at Naru. "Yeah. I fell for him right away after I started working with him when he was doing a case at the old school house by my school. He did me as well, but didn't tell me till a few days ago. Masako Hara is a psychic that has a TV show and is really famous for it. Her ability lead her to know who Naru really was right off the bat. And she used it to force him to go out on dates and stuff with her, and now she is upset cause he told her it wasn't going to happen anymore. But she is a big help sometimes with cases and her ability. I hope she comes."

Ling then dropped her head with a sigh. "Do you really think that they will be willing to help me when they realize what he is?"

Winking at the girl next to her Mai smiled. "Oh yeah not to worry. All of them will be more than willing to help."

Ling half smiled as she looked down then back up to Mai. "Who are they and what can they do?"

Sitting back in the chair Mai looked up at the ceiling with a smile as she crossed her arms. "Well I just told you about who Masako is. Her ability is to be able to see and speak to ghosts or spirits that none of us can see. Then there is Monk. Well his real name is actually Houshou Takigawa. But since he is a monk at Mt. Koya, he just got labeled Monk. He is really strong spiritually and a rock singer on top of it." When she noticed Ling's confused look, she just laughed. "I found it odd too. But you will like him."

"You also said Ayako and John. Who are they?"

"Ayako is a shrine maiden and since we are going to be on the other side of town far away from where she used it last, her ability might come in handy there too. Her unique lets her borrow the spirits of the trees to cleanse other negative spirits and lets them cross over and to rest in peace. And John is a Catholic Priest. Though he is only nineteen, he has made it that far. Naru, Lin and I thought that he was just lying about everything. Until we seen him in action."

"I see."

Seeing the girl cast her head down Mai pulled a gasp from the girl as she reached over and hugged her. "I promise all of us will do everything that we can to help you. You will see. Soon you will be free of this thing to live your life."

Before anyone could react though, Mai gasped as she got an eerie feeling as the hairs on her neck stood up. She half smiled as she stood up and pulled Ling with her. "Let's get back over to the guys." She took Ling's hand and stood up and started to walk around the desk with her. Just as they got around the desk, it flew across the floor to the wall. Mai gasped and pulled Ling with her as she ran to Naru and Lin. Mai grabbing onto Naru's arm and Ling Lin's.

Then there was three resounding booms that echoed through the room. Followed by the same demonic growling. The chattering of the tea sets, the cabinets slamming open and shut. Mai had had worse than this happen to her working with Naru. But there was something about this that wasn't like a normal haunting. So much more sinister.

Then just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. The air was no longer thick and heavy with malice and hate. Mai looked up at Naru with worried eyes. "This is something altogether different from what we have faced before huh?"

Nodding Naru glared around. "Lin and Ling, along with myself have only faced something like this one other time. However with me it never got this serious. Did you call everyone?"

"I did. I know Ayako, Monk and John are going to come. Masako didn't say if she was or not."

"I see."

Lin sighed as he looked over at Naru. "Let's take this out to the street and wait for them at the van. We can try and squeeze everyone in the back of it."

Holding her hand up Mei smiled. "No need for that. She called at least three others that are coming. I rented a car. Some can go in the van with Oliver and Mai. And you, Ling and another person or two can go with me and we will all follow Oliver to the house Mai found."

When she heard giggling, Mei looked over at Mai. "Was something I said funny?"

Shaking her head Mai smiled up at Naru. "No. It is a really good idea. Just that no one we know other than Lin would know who you are talking about right away if you keep using Oliver. We just call him Naru."

"I see." Mei then smiled as she took the box of charms from Lin and pulled one out and handed it to Naru. "Well then Naru who will you be taking with you in the van?"

"We will take Monk and John. Ayako can ride with the two of you. I have one of these."

Shaking her head as she pulled two more out and handed them to him as well. "One to hang from the rearview mirror of your van. It won't let it touch the van or anything or anyone inside. And the other two are for this Monk and John. We will give Ayako hers when she gets here too."

Handing the three charms to Mai, Naru nodded. "Let's get outside."


	6. Ling's Soul Part 3

They were only outside for about ten minutes when everyone got there. Minus Masako. But neither Naru or Mai really thought that she was going to show up knowing what she knew about them. It was worth a try though. Once the charms were handed out and put in the cars, they left. Mai sat in the front seat with Naru in the van, Monk and John in the back. In the other car, Ayako sat in the front with Mei, while Lin and Ling sat in the back.

Once they were driving it was Monk who broke the silence. "So what is the deal with Lin's sister?"

Turning a little in her eat so she could see Monk, Mai had a sad face. "She is the case. There is some demon after her. She showed up at the office yesterday and Lin knew right away what we needed to do, so he is probably going to take the lead on this one. But he told Naru who was out there, and me basically what happened when she was three. That was when we heard her scream and something had her by her neck off the floor. When Lin touched her it dropped her. Then threw a couch at them."

"Damn." His eyes serious as he looked at her Monk crossed his arms. "No running off and doing things on your own this time Mai. Not with something like this. Charm or no charm it just means that it can't touch you physically and you could still get hurt."

"I have already gone over all of that with her Monk. She and Ling are not to leave mine and Lin's side. The two of you are going to stay with Ayako as well."

Nodding John blinked. "By the way is Masako coming?" Then rubbed his head when he felt the smack from Monk. "What was that for?"

"You remember what happened two days ago in the office!"

"Oh man! I totally forgot!"

"I swear that is a…" But both of them looked up at Mai as she giggled. Monk was the one who rubbed his head. "Did we miss something or did Naru not tell you what happened between him and Masako while you were passed out?"

Holding his hand Mai smiled. "He told me. We still want to work with her and be friends with her that was why I called her and sent her the address. But Naru and I had something a little more important to talk about when I woke up other than what Masako would or would not feel about the two of us being together."

"Like what?"

Mai turned to look at Naru and then let her eyes half way close when she saw the smile on his face. "You see, you know how everyone has been telling me that the 'Naru' that has been guiding me in my dreams was just my powers taking on the shape of Naru cause of how I felt about him."

"Yeah."

"It wasn't that. And it wasn't really Naru either. But it was someone close to it."

"So you going to tell us who it was Mai?"

"It's Gene. Naru's twin brother."

Both boys gasping they could only stare at her with stupid looks. "Really? Like really really?"

Nodding as she turned to John, Mai smiled. "Yeah. In fact he told me that something was going to be said the day that Naru told us who he really was the night before. And that exactly who he was would be made perfectly clear. Then when Naru told us about Gene and how he was here to find his body it clicked. That was why I passed out that day."

Blinking Monk just looked at her with an odd face. "So you have been talking to the reason why Naru has been in Japan in the first place?"

Nodding Mai smiled. "That's right. He is the one who has been helping me through, and the reason why is cause of all of us, Naru and Lin included I was the only one that he could reach. And through me and my dreams once this case is over Naru and I are hoping that he will tell us where his body is."

John smiled as he crossed his arms. "Well that explains a lot actually. When the time comes just let me know and I will be more than willing to help."

With a nod Mai smiled over at Naru who still had his slight smile as he gripped her hand slightly tighter. Then she saw the charm hanging off the rearview mirror. While we are trying to drive this thing away from Ling, Lin made sure to tell me to make sure that you two know that you are not to take those charms off at all. That with them this thing won't be able to touch you. But you need to always know what is going on around you."

"Cause of the couch?"

More serious as he turned down a dirt road that would take them straight to the house, Naru sighed. "Not just the couch. It can sling desks, rattle everything. Lin said that last night it threw everything that he owned at some point in his apartment."

X

Ayako looked back in the back seat and smiled. It was refreshing to see Lin showing emotion toward someone. "So Lin what is going to happen when we get there anyway?"

"I will explain everything when we get there." The look he gave Ayako was clear. He wasn't going to talk about it when his sister could hear what was going on. She had been through three years of torture from this thing. It was time to find out what this thing wants, and then make it go the hell back where it came from.

"We are here. Mai did a really good job finding a place that was secluded."

Nodding Ayako smiled as she looked out the window. "Mai never knew much about the paranormal or anything to do with psychic powers before she met Naru and then the rest of us. Over the last six months she has shown that she has a talent for different things."

"Really?"

Nodding as they stopped the car. "Just wait and see. Our little Mai is learning quite a bit and will more than likely surprise you. She has all of us. Well not sure if she has Lin or not, but she has everyone else." Then she got out of the car and looked up at the house. "And this was one of her better works."

"I don't know if that should be taken as a compliment or an insult."

Crossing her arms and walking away Ayako smiled. "I just hope you were kind enough to get enough rooms for everyone."

Crossing her arms Mai glared. "Oh I did. You get to share a room with Mei. Monk and John get to share a room. Lin and Ling get a room and Naru and I get a room. Is that okay with you?"

Ayako, along with Monk and John all turned and looked from Mai to Naru with blinking eyes as they walked past them. Ayako shook her head and laughed. "Oh Mai don't be silly. It will be us and….."

"She had the sleeping arrangements right Miss Matsuzaki."

"But that is just not proper! You have only actually been together for two days now! How can you think about sleeping in the same room! If something should happen….."

Turning and blinking at her Mai sighed. "What makes you think that with the threat of a demon that is going to be in and out that either one of us would have the frame of mind to do anything like that? Besides if that is your concern you are a day late."

Her eyes bugging out of her head, along with Monk and John Ayako let out a loud gasp. "You mean that the two of you have already…" Then her shocked look turn to one of anger when Mai started laughing. "Something funny?"

Turning and following the others in the house Mai sighed. "Just that I had you going. I mean come on Ayako. We are here because of the case. Naru and I didn't have any activity at his apartment last night which was where I stayed. Just in case something happened. Nothing happened. Neither of us tried. I wish you had more faith in me than that. Geesh and you call yourself a shrine maiden?"

"Why you little! Get back here!"

With sighs Monk and John started to walk in the house. John with a slight smile. "This is going to be eventful isn't it?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Monk laughed. "To say the least. But Ayako does need to realize one thing about the situation. Neither Mai nor Naru seem like the kind to just jump in that serious and just start doing that right of the bat. I trust their judgment."

Nodding with a smile as they walked through the door John and Monk blinked as they looked around. This place was great! Made all the other places they stayed look like crap. "Hey Mai."

Looking over her shoulder as she checked some of the equipment Mai blinked. "Yeah Monk what is it?"

"How come we never stayed in a place that looked this good in the past?"

"Well with the exception of the church, every other place we had to stay was at the place we were trying to investigate."

"Hey Naru." When all he got was a annoyed look Monk smiled. "You need to start having Mai find us places to stay when we don't have to stay at the place in question. She did great!"

"Sure."

Mai half smiled as Naru walked over to Lin. Then she turned back to the stuff she was checking and sighed. Other than Monk, John and Ayako there was really no reason for her to try to get Naru to stay in Japan. And she knew that once he not only found Gene's body, but also found who was responsible for his murder she would be going with at least him to move and live in England where his family was. 'I wonder how they are all going to handle that?'

"Miss Mai you were just kidding about you and Naru sharing a room right?"

Shaking her head side to side Mai went on with her check list ignoring the glare she knew she was getting from Ayako. "I in a way yes, in another way no."

Her eyebrow twitching Ayako had her arms crossed. "What are you talking about?"

Looking over at how Ling clung to Lin Mai sighed as her eyes took on a look of pure sympathy for the terrified girl. "You know how Naru is about cases like this. When we went to the Blood Stained Labyrinth he made it clear that we were to stay in groups of at least two. I know some of what this thing can do. I knew Naru would have us in groups again. I will be staying with Naru, but Lin and Ling will be in the room with us. You, Mei, Monk and John get the other bedroom."

Blinking Ayako looked down at her then smiled as she turned to walk away. "Well that is fine then." 'Well then. Our little naive Mai isn't so naive after all. She actually has a good head on her shoulders. A far cry from that childish teen we met six months ago.'

X

Now that everyone was settled into the house, Lin sat with his sister, on her other side Mai, then Naru. In a chair right next to him was his Aunt Mei, and on the other side of the room on the love seat was Monk and John, and Ayako in a chair. With a sigh he dropped his head. "Thank you three for coming. I really appreciate it."

Nodding his head Monk smiled. "No problem. You may be a quiet stick in the mud but that doesn't mean that if you needed us we wouldn't be there for you. You just tell us what you want done and we will all work together to figure it out."

"And that means a lot. I guess I should explain what is going on from the beginning. Back when this thing first showed up in mine and my little sister's life."

"Right."

Looking down at his sister as she hid her face behind her hair and hugged his arm to her with a slight shake he sighed. "I am ten years older than Ling. When she was three and I was thirteen this thing showed up before. I knew before that so did my late Uncle that I had special gifts to say the least. And he had been teaching me how to control it so I could hide it from my parents. They viewed anything like that as nothing short of satins work and would have kicked me out at thirteen. I used some of those abilities to drive this thing out of the house. Then it was just bent on terrorizing everyone in the house, Ling and myself especially. After it was drove off I had to repent daily for a year and a half in the eyes of my parents that I had suppressed and sealed my abilities away."

Mai reached over and rubbed Ling's back where she sat hand in hand with Naru. "How horrible."

Closing his eyes Lin took a deep breath. "I still had the ability to do what I did before. I did not seal it in the least just in case it came back. But the charms my Uncle made, that everyone now wears did their job at keeping it at bay. When I was seventeen however, Ling was the object of bulling from a group of ten or more thugs from the town. The only way I could save her from whatever they had in mind was to use my abilities. Not realizing my father was close by and saw the whole thing. It didn't matter why I used them, I used them and was forbidden from being in the home, around them or around Ling ever again."

This time it was Mei that spoke. She reached over and gripped Lin's arm with her hand. "When Ling was sent to him, through a few phone calls to other family members that their parents were talking too, it was a series of bad events for her. When the booming and growls started up again three years ago, her mother found her clutching the charm and reciting a mantra that my late husband had told her to keep a barrier around her of sorts so it couldn't get her and would eventually go away. Her mother took it from her and burned it."

With a sigh Ayako closed her eyes and then gave Ling a look of sympathy. "And by doing that your mother opened the door for it to come back full force for whatever it wanted. And clearly something from Ling?"

Though before anyone could reply to Ayako there was a loud growling in the room again. Everyone was standing now, looking around. Ling with a death grip on her brother as her entire body began to shake violently.

Monk and Ayako threw their hands up in a praying motion, John placing his cross to the charm. Mei holding the charm with a defiant look in her eyes. Though it was Monk that spoke. "What do you want here?"

The sudden four loud booms in the room caused Ling and Mai to scream as they clung to Lin and Naru. Then they all went wide eyed when in the same raspy and growly voice they heard a reply. One none of them liked hearing.

"Her soul will be mine."


	7. Ling's Soul Part 4

Growls erupted as everything in the home started shaking violently. Dishes flying out of cabinets to shatter on the floor. Furniture started vibrating. Mei glared around her. Her husband told her how to keep that thing away from her. Stomping her foot she glares straight up. "Why are you bent on getting her soul? Why her?"

The growling got even louder and then doors started slamming. Mai clung to Naru who held onto her as well. He was glaring. The just like every other time just as suddenly as it started it stopped again. "That was intense."

Naru turned to John who seemed to be scared but lost in thought at the same time. "John?"

Looking up John sighed. "I think I know what he is. The second the activity started, I remembered one story told to me by the priest who taught me how to do exersims. It was one of his first ones. Someone in the family had made a deal with a demon that if the demon helped them reach a certain goal, the first child, male or female born in a generation on down the road, the demon would take their soul as payment."

Gasping Mei grabbed her throat. She married into Lin's family. Her husband and Lin's father were brothers. Their father only had three sons. And according to everyone, the generation before that, only one son was born. That boy's parents made it big in a chain of shops that set up all over the city and Hong Kong. But by the time her husband was born, all but two of them had closed down. No one knew why. "I wonder."

Everyone turned to her as she looked up at Lin. "You have heard the story about how before your father and Uncle were born that the Koujo family had stores across the city and in Hong Kong right?"

"Yeah."

"According to your Uncle the stories passed down is that for probably twenty generations back, your family had tried to get into the trades business. It never worked out until three generations before you did. Your Great Grandpa married a woman who was involved in physic abilities. He always thought that was where you got it from. No one ever knew for sure but your Uncle told me that there was suspicion that she dabbled in black magic as well. It was after he married her that the store took off."

With a sigh Mei sat down in the chair. "That is the story though I don't know of any way to know for sure. That would have been in a time when paper trails and pictures were not so plentiful."

Gasping Mai looked up at Naru. "I didn't call Yasu because he of what was going on. He can do less than me when it comes to it. But I bet if we called him and let Mei tell him the generations and the names she knows he could find it out."

"Yasu?"

Looking over at Mei Naru nodded. "It is a good idea. We met him a few cases back when we went to his high school. He was put in charge of finding stuff for us and getting stories. We have used him a few times to look stuff up since then." Smiling down at Mai Naru nodded. "That is a good idea."

Mai smiled as she started to take a few steps away from Naru then she stopped and froze. Something was there. She could sense it. But she couldn't see it or pin point it. "Something or someone is here guys."

Naru reached out and took her hand, catching her with a gasp as she feinted. "Mai!" He lifted her and then laid her on the love seat. Checking to make sure she still had the charm on. "Mai can you hear me?"

"She out of it. What happened?"

Not even looking up at Monk Naru sat on the edge of the love seat. "I don't know. She said something or someone was here, then the second I touched her she passed out." His stern eyes turning to look at Lin, Naru narrowed them. "Could this be the work of him?"

"Possibly. At thirteen I didn't really focus on what it could or couldn't do. I was more worried about protecting Ling then since my mother would ditch us both to hide and pray."

John sighed as he pulled out his cell phone. "I will give Yasu a call. Mai made sure to have us all have each other's numbers in our cell phones."

Naru nodded as he sat with Mai. "Good. Tell him what you know, what Mei said and have him call us when he finds something out. Stress the fact that he is not to come anywhere near here and to stay away from the office."

"Right."

X

Her eyes going open Mai sat straight up. She was sitting in an ancient home. It looked similar to those in her history books. "Where am I?" Then her eyes started to dart around. "Gene are you here?"

"I am here Mai. I pulled at your consciousness and pulled you into your dream state. "

Standing up Mai turned around to see Gene there, but with someone else that looked similar to Lin. "Who is that?"

Smiling as he stopped in front of her Gene laid his hand out on Mai's head. "This is Lu. He is Lin's Uncle."

Gasping as she looked up at him, Mai's eyes went wide. "Why don't you go talk to Lin? Tell him exactly what we have to do to defeat this thing to keep it away from not only him and Ling, but everyone."

Shaking his head Lu sighed. "I cannot. You see, much like Gene cannot get through to anyone other than you, I cannot either. Though the reason is not known for him, I know the reason for me. He doesn't see you as a threat. You are the one here that has the least amount of power. All of the others though are in danger."

"Do you have any idea why it said that it wanted Ling's soul?"

With a sigh Lu shook his head again. "I do not. That was the first time it said that. Mai what sort of powers do you have?"

Crossing her arms Mai looked up. "Well let me see. I can see visions in my dreams. I can see different things that happen. Like one case I saw a vision of a woman and her daughter. Her daughter went out to play and was kidnapped. She was later found to have been drowned in the lake just out her own front door. The woman killed herself by jumping in a well. I can do warding magic. I can also give someone something in a dream and it is like I give it to them in real life."

On the last note Gene gasped and his eyes went wide. "Wait you can?"

Nodding she turned her eyes back to him. "The Blood Stained Labyrinth. When they got Masako. I took a nap under the watch of Ayako and Monk. You were there for a second and pointed me in the direction she was in."

"I remember that."

"When I got there she was so scared and crying. Said she was just ready to die that there was no way that she was going to get saved." She reached in her pocket and pulled out the old key. "I gave her this. The key to the last apartment that me and my parents shared together. Mama kept it after Dad died, and then when she died I kept it. I gave it to her in my dream and told her that was a promise we would get there to save her. Once outside, she handed it back to me. I can't remember what Monk called it."

Looking to the side at Lu Gene was series. "If she can do that, it should be able to work both ways."

"Worth a try."

Mai watched as Lu walked over and wrote on a piece of paper exactly what Lin needed to do to destroy this thing. As he walked back toward Mai he smiled. "Tell him I would have come to him on my own but this thing won't let me near him, Ling or Mei. The Monk and the Catholic priest are going to be key in this battle. And you Mai."

Taking the note and putting it in her pocket, Mai looked at him. "What can I do? I can do the nine cuts on children and it just wound them. I can't exorcise anything. I don't understand what you think it is that I can do…." Being cut off when he did the same thing Gene does, Mai looked up at him as his hand rested on her head. "When everything starts, Gene nor I might not be able to reach you. You are going to be key in helping to keep Ling calm. And pull her out of her shell. She needs to believe that this thing can be killed before anything else happens. Or it will never work. Lin can only do so much. She might let you in. You have to try."

With a smile and a nod, Mai laughed. "I will do everything I can to get her to trust me and believe me that with everyone's help we will get rid of this thing for good and she will never have to worry about it again."

"Good."

X

Mai jerked awake with a gaps as she shot up. She was breathing hard when she looked and saw Naru's worried eyes. "It was Gene. He was the one who caused me to feint. He pulled my consciousness out."

"Did he tell you why?" Naru reached out and grabbed her hand and ran another down the side of her head. 'Don't do that anymore Gene. You scared the hell out of me.'

Nodding Mai looked down. "This thing is stronger than we thought. Lu, Lin's Uncle is here too. He can't reach them, every time he tries too this demon stops him. But that my powers aren't strong enough so it doesn't see me as a threat for what it wants."

"My Uncle was there this time?"

Lin was standing in front of her with wide eyes. "He was."

"Did he tell you anything about how to get rid of this damned thing?"

Nodding Mai started to speak then she gasped and remembered the note. "First can I ask you this? Remember when I gave Masako my key in the Labyrinth?"

"What about it?"

"I did it in my dream but she still had the key and I didn't. Do you know if that could go both ways? If someone who has the kind of dreams I do, who can give someone something in a dream and they have it in real life, if someone who has already passed on gave me something in my dream, could I have it with me when I wake up?"

"I don't know Mai. That is not something that Naru or I have any knowledge about. What does this all have to do with my Uncle?"

Reaching in her pocket her eyes got extra wide. "Well apparently I can." Then she pulled out the note and handed it up toward him. "Gene said I should be able too and your Uncle said that it would be worth a shot. He wrote down how to kill it. And told me that Monk and John would be a key factor in that. I would be too." She then looked over at a still terrified and quiet Ling. "I have to help you convince her that we can win the fight. If she doesn't believe it won't work."

Taking the piece of paper Lin was wide eyed when he opened it and saw the writing. It was his Uncle! He just starred for a moment then started reading the note. She was right it detailed everything. The first is convincing Ling that they can destroy it this time. With a smile, that shocked everyone but Ling, Mei and Naru Lin reached out and laid his hand on her head. "Thank you Mai."


	8. Ling's Soul Part 5

"What does he say is the first step Lin?"

Looking at the note again Lin hardened his eyes as he moved his hand from Mai's head. "Just like she said, we have to convince Ling that we can and will do this and once it is done she won't have to worry about it again."

"After that?"

Looking his aunt in the eye Lin sighed. "He lists a number of different things. Sage smudging on all of us. That way it cannot detach from Ling or myself and onto someone else. Second the charms are to have a mantra said over them. Third, if all that does not drive him away, then Monk and John will have to do simultaneous exorcisms. And Ling and I have to be the one to recite a mantra to cast it back to hell. That is why she has to believe that it can be done because we both have to recite it."

Mai leaned her head over on Naru's shoulder and sighed. "Oh man. Remind me to tell your brother to not do that again, I have a huge headache this time." Then she gasped as she looked up with wide eyes. "I never got to call Yasu."

"I already did Mai."

Looking over at John with blinking eyes she cocked her head to the side. "Thank you. You did remind him to call us with what he finds right?"

Nodding John laughed. "I did." Then his eyes trailed over to Ling. "Now on for the real test. She won't look at anyone but Lin or Mei and when we talk about the demon she looks like she might shatter if we touch her. Like a porcelain doll."

Mai looked over at the scared shaking girl that still clung to Lin like he was the only person in the world. Her eyes half closed as she thought about how she felt right after her parents died. She had no one in the world. And that had to be how she felt. Her parents disowned her and kicked her out instead of trying to help her. 'Poor thing. I wish I knew telepathy right now so I could try and talk to her.'

Taking everything in that everyone was saying, and about Mai seeing her uncle and what he said, Ling now knew for sure that it was hopeless. She hoped that Lin might be able to drive it away from her and give her a charm to keep her safe again. She didn't think he would try and fight it like this. There was no way that they could drive it back to hell. For some reason it was bent on having her soul and she didn't even know why.

Then her eyes go wide when she hears Mai's voice in her head. Her eyes dart to her and all she is doing is looking at her. Then it dawned on her what was going on. She could hear Mai! No one knew that she was a telepath. Not even Lin knew that. That was the one power that she had that she did try to enhance. 'Mai. Can you hear me? If you do think your answer.'

Her eyes going wide as she looked at her with shock clearly on her face. 'Wait did you hear what I just said?'

'I did. Why are you all doing this? It can't be done. We can't drive it to hell. We might have a chance at just driving it away for a while. If you all keep this up one of us is going to be dead. And we all know who it wants.'

Though Mai could feel eyes on her, and how Naru tightened his hand around hers, she kept eye contact with Ling. 'So no one else can hear us?'

'No. I have tried to talk to Lin this way. He should have been able to hear me. But he can't.'

'I see. Does Lin know you can do this at all? Have you told him?'

'I have not. I find it hard to talk outwardly. Every time I have tried he shows up and stops me from saying anything. Will you tell him? Tell him not to try to do this. Just send it away and that will be fine. Please I don't want to see anyone get hurt.'

Sitting back and smiling Mai welcomed Naru's arm around her waist. "You know you don't have to worry so much about it Ling. That could be the first thing you do to show him you are stronger than he thinks you are."

"What the hell are you talking about Mai?"

Looking up with a wink for Lin Mai smiled. "Just got to add on to what I can do, and this one I actually like. Telepathy. I was just talking to Ling. She can too. She said she has tried to tell you what she wants to happen, and about what she can do." Then her eyes cast down as she glares at the floor. "But that thing always does something when she is about to tell you. She is scared to talk to anyone, even you Lin."

Walking over to stand with Monk behind her, Ayako laughed as Monk put his hand out on her head and laughed. "Well then Mai. Looks like you are full of even more surprises. Though typically when someone has as many different talents like you have, it is easy for them to learn different skills such as telepathy."

Crossing his arms next to her Monk nodded with a smile. "Our little Mai is a one stop shop for psychic abilities. Course some of us could use for a smidge of what Mai can do. Right Ayako?

"I really hope you aren't talking to me."

"Who else? You were only actually helpful on one case. The last case before this one. Mai on the other hand has had a hand in helping with all the different cases."

"Why I otta!"

Everyone laughed as Monk dodged a very purposeful slap. Mai however saw the look in Ling's beautiful eyes. 'Don't worry Ling. We are all a lot stronger than you think and will be able to handle this. We just need you to believe in us.'

'Therein lies the problem.'

X

"This is unreal."

Looking over at Yasu Madoka blinked. "What is it?"

Fixing his glasses Yasu looked over at her with wide eyes. "I have heard many different stories about people selling the souls of relatives that have yet to come for monetary gain. But the names and such that I got from Lin's Aunt, I looked them up. They really did it. But that is where it gets odd."

"How odd?"

Turning back to the computer Yasu scrolled up on the page he was reading. "The information that Mei, Lin's Aunt gave me was pretty good. She knew all the names, and who it was that was supposed to have dabbled in black magic. Lin's father was named Jin. That was where Lin got his name. He had two older brothers. One, Jing was killed when they were young when a train derailed. It is still unknown what killed Lu, the other brother that helped Lin drive this thing away. Jing was where Ling got her name since Jin and Jing were closest."

Moving to look over his shoulder Madoka nodded. "Well that makes sense though. Being that close, that one of his kids would be named after him in some way. But in China typically the first born son is given a name that is derived from his father."

"Exactly. But Lin's grandfather did not have a name anything like Jin, Jing or Lu. I am not sure where Jin or Lu came from. But Jing was surely named after his grandmother who is the woman in question. Her name was Ling. Ling Su Koujo. Their grandfather was Xiahou Bu Koujo. I am guessing that is where Lu came from. After his grandfather. Because Lin's grandfather was Zhao."

"That is odd. And I wonder if they knew for sure that they were naming their daughter after a woman that was rumored to have used black magic? Cause while her name was meant to be after Jing, and probably wanted it to rhyme with Lin, from the way Mei talked about Lin and Ling's parents, I doubt they knew."

"Yeah. They absolutely despise anything that is occult. But I have found a few things about her that leads me to believe that she may not only be the one behind what is going on with this Ling, but actually the demon behind it."

Blinking Madoka looked down at Yasu with wide eyes. "Enlighten me then? She lived three generations before you. It isn't like we can just call her up and ask her ya know."

"I know that but look. In China, she was the founder of a cult of witches. She was very proud of that fact, and didn't try to hide it from her husband or her son. The cult still stands today. With the head witch there, the great grand-daughter of Ling Su's sister, Ling Lu. She is the same age as Lin, and is also named Ling."

"Hey kiddo do you think that your parents would let you come with me to China?"

"Probably. We are on winter break right now."

"Road trip!"

X

"Hello?"

"Well hi there Mai! How are you?"

Smiling Mai relaxed. "Hey Madoka. I am good."

"Good, good. Hey listen, Yasu and I have picked up a trail on something you guys might need to know. Tell Naru and Lin not to try to do anything spiritually until you hear from us okay honey?"

"Sure what did you find?"

Laughing Madoka got out of the cat at the airport. "Just some family history stuff like you asked. You will understand in a day or two. Just hold off till then okay dear? Bye bye."

With a sigh Mai hung up her phone and dropped her head. "Okay apparently Yasu is either hanging with or working for Madoka. That was her."

Blinking as he looked over at her Naru was more than a little shocked. "What did she want?"

"She said to tell you and Lin not to start doing anything spiritually until we hear from her and Yasu again. That they were on a lead about Lin's family that we asked Yasu to look up."

"I see." Naru then glared down at the floor. "Well she wouldn't tell us not to help her if she didn't have a good reason for it. Right Lin?"

With a sigh Lin cast a glance down at his little sister. "It isn't like we can really do anything anyway until we can build her up so she believes that we can do what we are trying to do."

Mai yawned as she looked over out the window. "Right now we need sleep. I am exhausted."

Nodding as he stood with her and headed for the bedroom, they all stopped when they heard a knock on the door. Mai and Naru turned and looked over as Monk walked over and answered the door. When he stepped aside Mai gasped. "Masako!"

Looking up to see Mai standing next to Naru, his arm gently placed around her waist Masako forced her tears to stay at bay. She had hoped that he was wrong when Naru told her that it was never going to happen. That he would take her absence as something he didn't like and would have realized true feelings for her. Seeing them together cemented what she was never going to be to him. Mai had always had his heart from the start she figured. "I am here."

Breaking away from Naru Mai walked over to her with a smile. "I am glad you came Masako. It honestly didn't feel the same without you here. You have been on all our investigations since the first one."

Turning her nose up at Mai, Masako walked on past her. "I did not come because of you Mai Taniyama."

With a sigh Mai turned and watched as she walked straight for Naru. 'Good luck with that one, you know what is going on between us and he told you never going to happen.'

Masako stopped right next to Naru and looked up at him. a light mist going over her eyes. "I was compelled to come by a spirit that came to my home."

"Who was it?"

Closing her eyes as she looked down, Masako hugged herself. "He would only say that his name was Xiahou."

"Why did he compel you to come here Miss Hara?"

Keeping her eyes closed so he couldn't see the hurt and pain in her eyes at once again not being called by her first name. "He said that I needed to come and tell you and Lin that the demon is someone that is related to Lin. That was all he said before this awful hatred roared through my home and then he was gone. I could hear him scream in agony as it left with him."

"How horrible."

Turning to look at the elderly woman Masako nodded. "Indeed. I am sorry Lin I wish I could have heard who this was so it might make it easier to get rid of it."

Nodding with a sigh, Lin turned and headed for the bedroom that he, Ling, Naru and Mai were going to share. "Thank you Miss Hara. You will be staying to help right?"

"I will stay for a few days to see if there is anything I can do. If not then I will be leaving to go home."

Mai came up next to Naru and then handed him a charm. Knowing that she wouldn't take it from her then winked at him as she turned and walked toward the same room Lin and Ling just went too. 'The last thing she is going to do is take something from me.'

Naru smiled slightly then turned to Masako and held out the charm. "If you are going to stay here for any length of time, you have to wear this and keep it on at all times. No taking it off in the least. You need to listen to me this time, unlike with the Blood Stained Labyrinth."

Masako turned and half glared up at him. Then she smiled as she closed her eyes and took a step closer to him now that Mai was not in the room. "Would you be so kind to put it on me?"

With a disgruntled glare, Naru reached out and lifted her hand and placed it in it. "You have to put it on yourself. Either put it on or you can leave now Miss Hara."

Looking down at the charm, Masako sighed as she slipped it over her head. "If I must I must." Then she turned and started to walk in the other bedroom.

X

Mai looked up from where she sat on the twin size bed that she and Naru were going to use as he walked in the room and closed the door. "Did she put it on?"

"She did. Why did you do that?"

Blinking she looked at his stern yet serious face as he sat down on the bed before her. She reached out and took his hand with a smile. "Masako is only seventeen after all. She fell in love with you, and wanted you to herself. She went about it the wrong way but I understand how she feels. I started falling in love with you as soon as I started working for you remember? I know she will come around and will be able to work with us, while you and I show affection. But just for now I think it would be best to keep that to a minimum for a while. I hated it when I thought she was competition and that I was going to lose you to her. But that doesn't mean that I am going to flaunt that I have you and she doesn't in front of her."

Pulling a gasp from her, Naru smiled as he leaned in and kissed her. His hand going to her face as her eyes fluttered shut and she returned the kiss. After a moment he pulled back and then moved so that he was leaning against the wall and laid her so that her head was in his lap and smiled warmly down at her. "That is one reason why I fell in love with you Mai. Even though you know how she feels about me, and will no doubt not give up, you still worry about her feelings."

Her eyes drifting shut Mai nodded. "That's me. I can't willingly hurt anyone. And besides, I know who your heart lies with so I don't have to worry about losing you."

"No. No you don't."

X

"Naru."

Looking up into Lin's eyes Naru saw the seriousness of his. "What is it Lin?"

"Do you think what Madoka told Mai, and what Miss Hara told us tonight could be related?"

Looking back down at Mai as she slept Naru nodded. "I think they might. I will be calling Madoka myself tomorrow until I get ahold of her. Everything is falling into place but what this Xiahou was going to tell Miss Hara, and what Madoka and Yasu think they found are going to be the key." Then his eyes drifted to the shaking huddled mess that was Ling. "I wonder if they found something to talk about Mai could get through to her?"

Looking down at his sister who slept with her head in his lap as well, Lin smiled. "I hope so. I want to see the little sister that loved life back. That was my reason for going on when they kicked me out. Ling and I promised when she turned 18 she would find me. I had hoped she would be just as happy as she was at seven. But thanks to my ignorant parents that is not the case."

Running his hand through Mai's hair Naru nodded. "Tomorrow we will have Mai talk to her using telepathy. Right now lets just hope that Gene or Lu have something they can tell Mai tonight."


	9. Ling's Soul Part 6

"Hello there. How may we be of service to the two of you?"

Madoka and Yasu smiled as they walked in the room. Madoka winked as she smiled. "We are actually here to see if we can have a private conference with Lady Ling."

The young girl smiled and nodded. "Sure right this way."

Following the girl through the halls of the building, Yasu looked around. This was nothing like he would have imagined that it would have been like. This was supposed to be a known witches coven, though most of what they say they did was said to be hoaxes and fake magic. But being here, he had to wonder if the stuff was true. After all look at what Mai could do.

Looking over her shoulder, the girl giggled. "You came here cause you know that we are witches right? So why do you look so shocked?"

Rubbing the back of his head Yasu closed his eyes. "It is just that this place isn't what I thought. I had been doing some research on the two that founded this coven and…"

Giggling the girl turned her head from Yasu. "Lady Ling was handed this coven when her mother was ill when she was still little. Ten years old I think. Her power is vast. Yet the more she learned of the witches that lead the coven before now, the more she wanted to improve on what she thinks a witch is and try to abolish the way of the old."

Looking at her with wide eyes Madoka crossed her arms. "So what does she do then? The very name witch means that you are evil of sorts."

Stopping and looking down with sad eyes as she turned the girl held her hands before her. "That is what Lady Ling is trying to change. If nowhere else in our little town here. The Lady's that founded this coven were as evil as they came. Duping man after man to wed them, then making deals that would kill them before their time. Though Lady Ling Su was the only one to have any sons with her last husband."

"Last?"

Nodding the girl kept her eyes down. "When he realized what she had done to his family, he tried to change the way the names would go by not naming his son after him. and having his son do the same thing. That way her curse could not be kept. He also killed himself by binding Lady Ling Su with rope she could not break free from, and burned their home down, trapping himself inside. Hoping that would also break the curse she put on his family."

"However it seems that someone has named a daughter that does not have magic Ling. Is that not why you are here?"

Yasu and Madoka looked to the right as the young girl looked up with a bright smile. Madoka stepped up. "You are the Lady Ling?"

Nodding Ling smiled. "Come in here please. I will tell you what I know to help this other Ling."

Walking in behind her Yasu kept his eyes on her. "How did you know…."

Sitting down Ling smiled as she gestured for them to sit down with a smile. "Among my magical powers I have inherited through my bloodline, I also have a few psychic abilities. Telepathy is one of them."

Sitting down next to Yasu on the love seat, Madoka hardened her eyes. "I see. Tell me why did you say a Ling without magic?"

Smiling as she closed her eyes and folder her hands in her lap, Ling let out a sigh. "My great grandmother would as young Yue put it, dupe men into her bed. But they were not your normal men, she stayed with magic. Her husband she had a daughter with was a warlock, my grandmother also bore a daughter with a warlock, as well did my mother. I am a pure witch. This other Ling, would have been a result of my great grandmother's normal human husband that murdered her. I am correct in that right?"

Nodding Yasu fixed his glasses. "Indeed you are. So you know about the curse then?"

With sad eyes, Ling opened her eyes. "I do. Ling Su actually loved the man she married the last time. She had talked about hanging up magic forever. When he voiced how his family could never break into the trade, she called upon a demon and offered up her soul. But when she got wind that her husband found out what she had done, and what she was he was furious. He bound her and burned her at the steak, going down with her. Just before her death, she changed the pact of the deal. A Ling that did not have magic, is the soul the demon would take."

"How do we kill it?"

"Has it possessed anyone yet?"

"No. Just throwing things, growling. It did have Ling up on the wall at one point, but Lin touched her with a charm on him and it dropped her."

Crossing one arm, while her other elbow rested on it, touching her hand to her face Ling thought for a moment. There was always a way to kill a demon. There was always a way to heal what they had done to someone. But she had to know the exact demon. "There leaves me only two options and one I am really not prepared to do at the moment."

Looking at each other then back to Ling, Madoka and Yasu blinked. "What are you talking about?"

Turning and holding her hand out at the bookshelf, Ling crooked her finger and smiled at the gasps as a book floated from the shelf to her. She then handed it to them. "Be sure that the girl gets this. And you said Lin? Is that her brother?"

Nodding Yasu opened the book and started to thumb through the pages. "It is. He is the same age you are."

"Good. She will need the aid of a closely related person to do this. She must believe it though or it won't work. Figure out the demon with that book. Each demon in that book, has a way of summoning one, and a way of killing one. Never read the summoning text out loud or it will call them. You never know what they will do when they are called." She then dropped her head. "I wish I could do more for you but this is my only real option actually."

"What would the other one have been?"

Looking up at Madoka Ling smiled. "Going and helping to take care of this myself. But it was not my direct bloodline that made the pact with the demon. Well in a way yes but in a way no. My blood is so far out from the one who made it, all I would do by showing up is make it worse."

Standing and walking through the halls with her, both Yasu and Madoka smiled and waved as they left the building. Once they were a few blocks away, and the thoughts in the house could not be heard, she crossed her arms as her eyes hardened. "We are going to put a charm around this book, drive past where they are at and drop it then call them soon as we get back to Japan."

"But they said…"

"I know what they said!" Madoka glared up at him. "But I have to make sure that Naru gets this book and knows what to do with it!" She then turned worried eyes back to the side walk ahead of them. "I worry about him and Mai. And Lin. And he is dealing with Ling, and having to show others, even Naru exactly what he can do now. I don't think this thing is going to be settled in a day."

"I see."

X

'Ling why won't you talk to me? I have been trying to talk to you about anything other than what is going on to try and preoccupy your mind and you ignore me every time.'

Still clinging to her brother Ling never looked up at her. 'It is pointless Mai. I see what you and Naru mean to each other. I refuse to make friends with you. All that is going to do is end up in your death and I don't want that on my head again.'

Blinking Mai leaned back against the couch. 'What do you mean again?'

'A teacher once tried to help me. He heard the growls that followed me through school and how terrified I was. He knew some and took it on himself to try and drive it away from me. It killed him in response.'

Looking over at the girl with more of a glare now Mai crossed her arms. 'You know, knowing some and knowing as much as we do as a group is different. Trying to do something alone is different from doing it as a group. We have overcome demons in the recent past so don't make assumptions. Your brother for one is much stronger than you may think.'

Closing her eyes and ducking her head Ling let a few silent tears fall. 'Not strong enough.'

Before Mai could say anything back to her, her cell phone rang. Pulling it from her pocket she blinked. "It's Madoka. Naru do you want to talk to her?"

"Yes." Naru took the phone and glared at the floor. "What have you two been doing?"

"Don't you dare use that tone of voice with me Oliver Davis! We have been finding out something that I bet even his Aunt doesn't know about Lin's Ancestors and why it has attached itself to Ling. Or would you rather I not tell you? If you want to know then you have to say your sorry."

Tensing with a harder glare, then giving in as he relaxed and leaned his head back on the couch, Naru let out an annoyed sigh. "Alright. I am sorry I snapped at you. Will you tell us please?"

"I know where you guys are. We tracked the ping from Mai's cell. Don't worry we aren't coming, but you need to send someone to the end of the driveway and pick up a package we just left sitting there for you. We are not sitting that far away, soon as we know one of you have it we are going to go back to our daily lives."

Standing and pulling Mai with him by her hand he headed for the door. "We will be right back." Then he hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket. 'What is she doing?'

Mai pulled the door shut behind her then caught up so she was walking right next to Naru. "What is going on?"

"They found something and dropped off a package at the end of the driveway. I don't know what it is but she said it would help us understand and know what we need to do in a nutshell."

Looking straight Mai's eyes went wide when she saw the box sitting there. When they got to it she watched as Naru lifted it then they headed back to the house. "What do you think is in it?"

"I don't know. It isn't like lifting weights, but it isn't light either."

As they walked in, Naru sat it down on the table in the middle of everyone and opened it. Inside the big box was a smaller one, on top of it was a note. Lifting his eyes went wide when he read what it said.

"Naru,

I know how you hate winded explanations. In a nutshell, the demon was called by Lin's great grandmother but not in the way you are all thinking. Something happened to show her husband she loved that she was a witch and he turned on her, killing her. Though she took him with her. Right before she drew her last breath, she cursed the man she loved, that the first born girl to their children would be the one whose soul he would take. Ling.

Inside are some things to keep you all safe from it until you can kill it. She has to want to kill it. Not only believe everyone else can, she has to want to kill it, and cast it back to hell or it won't stop till she dies.

Madoka"

Looking down at Mai he sighed. "Your job to reach her has hit a new high."

"Huh?"

Naru handed her the note and let her read as he opened the other box. Inside were several items, each one labled. They all belonged to this other Ling, but one thing. A ring that was marked, "Ling Su Koujo".

"Oh wow how pretty." Mai smiled as she reached in and lifted the ring into her hand. Once she had a good hold on it, her eyes went wide, dilated and she let out a gasp as she fell backwards onto the couch in another feint. Though this time her eyes stayed wide open. 'Oh man Gene if this is you I am going to kill you!'

Naru was at her side in a second. This wasn't like when his brother did it. This was different. He tried to take the ring from her but her death grip on it wouldn't budge. "Damnit!"

"She was sucked into a vision."

"How do we get her out of it?" Naru turned his glare up at Mei.

"We can't. We just have to wait till it is done."

His eyes full of concern as he turned back to where he now had Mai laid out on the couch. 'Gene go with her if you can. Please!'


	10. Ling's Soul Part 7

Her eyes wide open, Mai let out a scream as she felt herself being sucked through a portal. "What is happening! Gene! Lu! Anyone!" When no one answered she felt the tears start to pool in her eyes. "What is going on?"

Then just as suddenly as she was sucked into the portal, she was dropped with a thud to the ground. Standing up she rubbed her back. "That hurt."

Feeling something on her hand she looked down and on her right hand was the ring she picked up. "I wonder if this had anything to do with it? I bet if I take it off I will wake up." She tried and tried and tried and tried to pull the ring off her finger. It was a little big for her but would not budge but to twist in a circle. "Why can't I take it off?"

Then she gasped and jerked her head up when she heard the sound of a baby cry. "What is that?"

Not realizing why, she slowly crept in the hut that she was in front of, there were only three rooms in it. Inside one room, her eyes went wide when she saw a man, a woman and a baby. 'Why am I seeing this?'

Xiahou Bu smiled as he kissed his wife and looked proudly down at his new son. "I will be right back. I am going to tell my parents and sister the news that we have welcomed a son into our home. I will be back soon my love." Then he kissed her lips and rushed out the door.

Mai started to move out of the way but wasn't fast enough and gasped as her eyes went extra wide when he walked right through her. She turned and looked after him with blinking eyes. "I guess this is a vision. It must be connected to the ring somehow." She then looked back at the woman and did not see the ring on her finger yet. Walking in the room with the woman and the baby she smiled as she looked down at the baby. "Awww he is adorable."

"I see you had a child with the filthy human."

Looking up Mai gasped as a woman dressed differently just appeared in a puff of smoke standing on the other side of the woman. But she looked identical to the one with the baby! "What is going on here?"

Ling Su sighed as she half glared up at her sister. "I did. I love my husband sister. An emotion I never knew until him. This is what I want. Do you not even want to look upon your nephew?"

Cringing at the thought, Ling Lu crossed her arms. "I would rather not. I can't believe you actually think that man loves you. If he knew that you were a witch, you would be cast away like trash."

Tears now streaming down her face, Ling Su looked down at her precious child. "You are wrong. He is kind and thoughtful. He loves me for who I am not what I am. It wouldn't matter to him what I did."

"Then why don't you practice anymore? You left the coven we founded together for this human!"

Glaring up at her sister Ling Su bounced her now crying son. "I did and I would do it a thousand times over if it meant that I would marry the man that is my husband, Xiahou Bu Koujo. If you do not have anything nice to say then leave. My choice for not doing magic anymore is my own. I want a normal life and a normal family."

Turning her back on her sister Ling Lu glared. "He will be your death one day. And that child could have inherited your ability to do magic. You could be holding a half warlock for all you know. If you want to keep this charade up then you better cast the charm."

Whipping her eyes Ling Su looked down at her now quieted son. "I did that while I was pregnant with him my dear sister. He may have some abilities, but nothing like what I have."

"Whatever."

Mai crossed her arms as Ling Lu vanished in smoke. "You know she would have been slapped talking to someone like that where we are from." Then she gasped when as if she was watching a movie on fast forward people filed in the room. She stood still and watched as the child grew. He looked similar to Lin, and that was when she realized that she was looking at Lin's great grandparents and his grand father! Knowing this now she tried to pay close attention, but everything was moving to fast.

Then just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. The baby was now about to her hips, she would guess about seven or eight years old. Ling Su and Xiahou Bu now sat outside watching him play. Walking to stand in the door she listened to what the conversation was about.

"Do not worry my husband. Your business venture will turn around and be successful I am sure of it."

Holding his wife's hand Xiahou Bu sighed as he dropped his head. "I wish I knew that for sure. I am the tenth generation to try to start a store like this. However, while I have gone further, if things do not turn around soon, I am afraid I will too have to give up. If I do I am going to encourage Zhao to go a different path in life."

It has been nearly nine years since she cast her last spell. Extracting all magic from her son. She knew he had abilities, but he did not talk about them. She had seen him using his mind to move things and such. But those were not bad things so long as the masses did not know. Then she looked to the side at her husband. Ling Su knew she would do anything to see him smiling like the day their son was born. There was only one thing that she could do.

She would trade her soul to a demon. On the even that she birthed a daughter, she would slip away and die. Her husband thinking birthing the child would have done it. She knew that he would take care of their children, and it would not threaten any other member of her family yet to be born. She leaned her head over on his shoulder and smiled. "You shall see." Then she looked up at the sky. "I am going to visit with my sister today. I know you do not get along with her and Zhao does not like her. Would you mind keeping after him while I go see her?"

Though he hated her sister, Xiahou Bu smiled at his wife. He kissed her nose and smiled. "Go and visit with your family. Your husband and son will be here waiting your return."

Kissing him Ling Su smiled then stood and walked over hugging her son and then walking off. She knew what had to be done, and this would be the last act of magic that she would ever do. For the good of her family.

Mai smiled as she glanced at the father and son playing then ran after the woman and followed her deep into the woods. She stood behind a tree as she lit a fire and started reciting a mantra in some strange language she didn't understand. Then she gasped as her eyes went wide. There in the fire stood a demon! He had pale skin, and his eyes were just black pits. He glowed a fiery red color and had the same raspy growl that the one after Lin had! "That's him! Oh my gosh!"

"What do you offer me for this?"

Standing tall and proud Ling Su spread her arms wide. "I offer you my magic to be yours on the night I birth my daughter. For I have the gift of foresight and I will birth her next year."

"You give your soul and magic to me?"

"Yes. You get them both so long as the agreement understands that my children and all their descends are to be left alone."

"Agreed."

Then just like that there was a puff of smoke and he was gone, the fire put out and a smiling Ling Su walked back toward her home slowly. Mai couldn't believe that just to make her husband happy she was going to offer herself to the demon, leaving that husband and two children behind without her. "She must have really loved him. But what changed it so that this thing is after Ling now?"

She followed her back to the hut and then watched as another year went buy. More rooms were added onto the hut, making it the size of a small house her time, this time in China it was like a mansion. The stores were booming as well.

When it finally slowed to that of a normal pace she watched as a very pregnant Ling Su waved goodbye to her husband and son as they headed off toward the shop. She then let eyes mist over as she watched the woman let a few tears fall as she laid her hand over her stomach. "I still don't understand why she did that knowing she was leaving her children alone without a mother. My time with my mother was the most precious I ever had."

Then she heard a desperate scream as Ling Lu rushed in the house. Growling echoing around as well as thumps heard and felt through the ground. Mai gasped as she rushed through the door of the house and then stopped to see the two glowing. Ling Su a brilliant white, and Ling Lu a dark black. She watched as their powers formed together to show a yin yang sign as they recited a Chinese mantra then their light flew from each other. The demon growling stopped, the air was light and breezy. "They sent it away."

Ling Su sighed as she crossed her arms. "What had you done if Xiahou Bu was here? I would have sent you away telling you that you were nuts."

"You would have let me die at the hands of a demon?"

Her black eyes flashing, Ling Su glared at her sister. "That demon was sent on you by someone you done wrong. Watch your step from now on sister or I will let it take you."

"You will pay for this sister. Mark my words."

Mai sighed as she turned her head to the side as Ling Su started to cry then gasped. There looking through a window was a now enraged Xiahou Bu! He had seen what happened. He knew and he wasn't the kind and forgiving soul that his wife thought he was. The look in his eyes was pure rage! She ran after him as he ran toward the store again.

Without thinking Mai ran after him to see what he was going to do. He just saw his wife was a witch, what if anything would he do to his son. But to her shock, he didn't go straight to the store, instead he stopped at the Buddhist temple that was a few buildings down. She followed him inside.

Kneeling before the monk that sat on the alter, Xiahou Bu still had his face contorted in anger. "High Priest. Please tell me what can be done. I was tricked into marrying a witch. How can I tell if my son is her kind or not? What do I need to do to repent for such a sin?"

The priest opened his dull black eyes as he looked down at the shaking, kneeling before him. He thought when he married Ling Su that she was not what she seemed. "There be only way to tell if he is a son of Buddha or a son of Satan. Place Buddha's mark upon his forehead. If he screams in pain, he is not of Buddha. If he smiles, he is of Buddha."

"What if he screams in pain High Priest?"

"Then you must slay your son with his mother."

"If he smiles?"

"Then you need only to slay his mother. To slay a child of Satan, you must burn her. Use this to tie her hands. She will not be able to break it. Burn her as well as the house you share to the ground to repent for bringing her among us."

With a gasp Mai placed her hand over her mouth. "How cruel!" Then gasped as the man took rope from the priest and then rushed out the shrine and for his store. She followed and watched with a pounding heart as he put the mark of Buddha on the boy, then sighed with relief and closed her eyes when he smiled and laughed.

Only to jerk them open again when she heard a woman screaming in pain. She gasped as she looked through a window to see Xiahou Bu standing before his very pregnant wife, who was bound to a post in the house. The ropes used must have not only kept her bound, but blocked her magic as well. Then she turned her head with a gasp when she watched as Xiahou Bu began to repeatedly beat his wife, punching her in the stomach and slapping her face. "Stop it!" But when she tried to run around and go inside she couldn't move! She was stuck there by the window. "Why am I seeing this!?"

Tears streaming down her face, Ling Su sobbed as she endured hit after brutal hit from the mans he thought was the most gentle man in the world. Finally when he stopped she looked up at him through swollen eyes. "Why Xiahou Bu!? Why are you doing this to me?"

His eyes glaring even harder he reached out and jerked her head back using her hair, another scream of pain erupting from her. "You deceived me. You witch. I came back to get you for some help in the store and I saw what you and your sister did. I heard what you told her. You lying bitch!"

With wide eyes, Ling Su struggled to try and get her arms free after another vicious slap from her husband. "I am still the woman who loves you! Who bore your son! Who is bearing your second child!"

"Enough! To repent for bringing you into my home and my bed, I must slay you." He closed his eyes as he fisted his hands. "Zhao has no clue what you are. Nor will he ever for I do not intend to tell him. He received the prayer mark of Buddha and smiled. He does not have your evil blood in him he is all mine. I will slay you here and now while he is gone. And the monster you carry inside you before it is born."

Ling Su had stopped sobbing by this point. The man she tried so hard to please. The man she sold her soul off to help, has betrayed her. He is not the kind man she thought he was. "You have doomed your family forever."

"With those binds you cannot do your black magic." Then he began to smash furniture, piling it around her feet where she stood.

Ling Su smiled as she laughed when he stood back with alit oil lamp. "These binds only weaken my physical body not my magic. The barrier around this house will not let you leave. If I am to die here you are coming with me." Then she gave him an evil glare, as her black eyes turned blood red. "Your family will carry out what I was going to do. I sold my own soul to a demon to help you and this is how you treat me!?" Then she threw her head up in the air. "Hear me now demon of the dark. I will not die as promised. So come back to take my descendent that bears my name! She will feed you with her soul!"

Xiahou Bu glared harder as he dropped the oil lamp at her feet, watching as the wood caught fire. He then walked over and sat as he watched with contempt in his eyes as he watched his wife and unborn child go up in flames. Her screams of agony like music to his ears. For his repenting, he knew that Buddha would always grant his generations with sons only. To further show that this witch has no more power over anyone.

Mai sobbed as she listened to the woman's tortured screams. Then just as suddenly as they started, did they stop when she shot up on the couch. She looked down at her hand where the ring was sitting and then threw clear across the room to bounce off the wall. She turned shaky crying eyes to Naru who sat there with her. Then she collapsed in his arms as she cried as hard as she could. She never wanted to see something like that again! It was almost as bad as dreaming that she was murdered!


	11. Ling's Soul Part 8

Slowly opening her eyes, Mai looked up to find that her head was once again in Naru's lap. One hand holding hers, the other hand holding resting on her hip. She smiled then let tears fall from her eyes again as she remembered what happened in her vision. Sitting up she smiled as he jerked awake and a hand went to her face to wipe away her tears. "I am alright now."

His eyes soft and full of concern, Naru never left her eyes. "What happened? You touched the ring and then you fell backwards in a stare."

Dropping her head as she clung to his clothes with her hand she started shaking. "I am glad that you are who you are Naru. That you know what I could possibly do and want to help me keep it in check."

"Where is that coming from?"

"Mei was right and wrong at the same time. Where is everyone else? I don't want to have to say it more than once it was too awful."

Standing up and pulling her up next to him Naru considered not having her tell anyone the way her shaky arms grabbed his. But she seemed like she wanted to tell everyone. "Come on they are out in the living room. You have been out most the day."

Nodding Mai walked out the room with him. She could feel the hated stabs of Masako. She normally wouldn't be clinging to him like this right off the bat. But with what she just saw in the vision, he was like her only lifeline.

Once they were sitting down Mai sighed. "When I touched the ring I had a forced vision. That ring belonged to Lin's great grandmother. But Mei was right. It was Xiahou Bu and Ling Su that started this. But not for the reasons that we thought before."

Her eyes wide Mei just looked at her. "So just by touching the ring that belonged to her, you were able to see a vision for it?"

With a smile Monk never took his eyes off of young Mai. "That's right. She has a slew of abilities, some none of us have. Like the visions. Masako can see them as well, but she only sees flashes of what happens. Mai sees it like as if it is in real time."

'What happened?'

Turning a small smile at Ling Mai reached over and took her other hand. "Ling Su wasn't the monster that her husband's family made her out to be over all these years. He was the real monster."

"What are you saying Mai?"

Looking up at Lin then back down to her lap she took in a deep breath. "Just like Madoka and Yasu found out, Ling Su had been with many men. But when she met your great grandfather she truly fell in love with him. Vowing never to practice any magic. But when she became pregnant, while he was gone, she cast a spell on herself, stopping her child from getting any magical gifts from her. He would have what we call psychic abilities, but he would not be able to do magic."

"Well that explains why Lin is as skilled in so many different things he is. It is handed down."

Looking over at Ayako Mai nodded. "Their son was named Zhao, which was derived from his father's name. Xiahou Bu, they dropped the X, I and U, and rearranged it. But from the second the baby was born, till he was eight it was like watching something on fast forward. When he was like eight years old, she wanted to see her husband smile again. So I followed her and she went deep into some woods and called the demon we are dealing with now. But she did not promise him another's soul in return for the stores to take off. She promised him her own soul and her magic. She said she had foresight, but it must not have been that far ahead, or something she could turn off and on. She told the demon that on the even when she birthed her daughter, that he could come and claim her soul and her magic, and in return he was to leave her descendants alone for all time."

With a slight glare for her, Lin sighed. "Apparently it didn't work the way she meant it."

Shaking her head no Mai sighed. "It would have. But two years later, she was indeed pregnant again and was ready to let her life go to see her husband and children with the life she wanted for them. Her twin sister Ling Lu crossed a warlock the wrong way and he sent a demon to take her soul. She rushed to her sister for help, and she helped her. With what looked like that Yin and Yang magic stuff Lin has talked about. But her husband saw her. And he changed. He went to a Buddhist Priest and he said to give his son the prayer mark of Buddha. That if he smiled he was a son of Buddha with no magic like his mother. If he screamed in pain he was to slay them both to repent in the eyes of Buddha."

With a gasp everyone just looked at her with shocked faces. Mei was the one who spoke. "Well he didn't kill his son, that is Lin's grandfather."

Nodding Mai sniffed as more tears streamed from her eyes. "He gave him some rope that was supposed to be strong enough to bind a witch. Told him to burn her alive. He went further than that. Once he knew his son had no magic in him, he went home, bound her to a pillar in the home and viciously attacked her. Slapping her, pulling her hair, hitting her with sticks all over her body. Focusing on her stomach where his own child was. Once he stopped and she asked him why he was doing that through sobs, he told her he knew. And he was going to kill her and the monster she carried. She then changed the conditions of the deal with the demon. Laughing an evil laugh as she called out to it, sending it to the next Ling born from her bloodline, that he would have her soul instead." Then she buried her head into Naru's arm as she took a few deep breaths. "Her death screams were horrid. And he sat and watched as she burned with a smile. She trapped him in the house, taking him with her, and yet he seemed happy he was killing the woman the day before he professed to love."

Naru moved his arm and hugged her face to his chest as she once again broke down into a torrent of sobs. "We know how to kill it. Or break the deal as it says in the notes Yasu took." He then directed his eyes down to Ling. "We can do what is needed. Now are you going to sit there and let Mai go through this experience for nothing? Or are you going to stand up and stand with your brother and friends? Or are you ready to just give up and let it take you to hell?"

Ling let tears stream as she still clung to her brother. "I can't. I am not strong enough."

Turning to look at her with a smile, Mai pulled her from Lin and hugged her, making the girl gasp with wide eyes. "You are stronger than you think. Just like everyone here is stronger than you seem to think they are. He isn't our first demon and won't be our last. But this is personal for us because it is you."

"But I don't know anyone here other than my brother!" Ling turned and was looking frantically into Mai's eyes.

Taking her hand and laughing through her own tears, Mai shook her head side to side. "Lin doesn't like the Japanese. I tell him all the time it is rude to not like an entire country based on the actions of a few a long time ago. He tells me to mind my own business. But none the less, everyone in this room cares about him and would rush to his side if he needed us. Now we know who you are, even if Lin couldn't and you needed us, we would all be there to help you. I bet you feel the hold it has on you weaken if you just say the words."

"Say the words?"

"Tell us that you believe in us. Tell that thing to go back to hell where it belongs. That you are going to send it back and be free of it."

Shaking her head as she tried to turn back to cling to her brother Ling let more tears fall. "I can't say those words! It won't let me!"

Not letting her go Mai hardened her eyes. "That is why you have to say them. If you say them, he knows he will weaken his hold. Don't ask me how I know that I just do. Weaken its hold on you and you will feel better. Once you feel that, you will want more and be able to do what you need to do to get rid of it."

"I can't!"

"You have to Ling? Either say it or say goodbye to your brother and everyone else here. We are going to fight it with or without your help. Are you going to sit back and watch as your brother, Aunt and everyone else here fighting to save you dies? Do you really want to do that?"

"No of course not!"

"Then say it!"

Ling's eyes darted around the room then went frantic when she realized that everyone else, her brother included was on the other side of the room looking at her and Mai. Her eyes then went back to Mai's. There was something in Mai's eyes. "You are serious."

"Very."

Dropping her head as she started to shake violently Ling sighed. "I will try to say them"

"Tell me you WILL say them."

"I will say them."

Just as she opened her mouth, Ling gasped when the growling was back in the room. "Mai!"

"Say it!"

Looking over at her brother and the way he looked at her. Ling could see he was one of the few that still loved her without judgment. He was going to try and fight it. She wasn't going to let him die for nothing! "I…..I…..be…" Then she let out a startled scream as cups slung past her head. Sucking in a wild breath she threw her arms around Mai. "I believe in all of you!"

Then there was a loud thud followed by startled screams. Mai and Ling turned to see the others being slung across the room. Mai turned to Ling and held her at arms length. "Finish it and it will stop!"

Ling looked over then went wide eyed when her brother was lifted and slung through a wall. "Lin no! Stop it you monster! Go back to hell or wherever you are from and leave me alone!"

Then the two girls screamed their own screams as the couch they were sitting on lifted in the air shaking them around. Mai smiled at Ling. "One more thing. One more! You can do this Ling! Say that one more thing and by this time tomorrow you will be free of this thing!"

Nodding her head Ling took a deep breath. "Get out of here. I will be free of you….." Then she gasped as she felt that pure energy ripped her from Mai and pinned her to the wall. "Mai! Lin!"

Mai started to reach out for her but then screamed when the same thing happened to her, right next to Ling. She felt like the weight of whatever it was holding her there was going to crush her. "Say it….."

Ling closed her eyes. "I will…..I will…" Then she sucked in a wiled breath when she watched Mai's eyes flutter shut, looking over at Lin who was going through a window tears streamed from her eyes. Not this time. Not her brother! "I will send you back to hell and be free of you once and for all! I am not going to be scared anymore!"

Just as suddenly as everything started, the activity stopped, Mai and Ling were dropped to the floor coughing, Lin rushed back through the door and to his sister as Naru fell to his knees by Mai. The air in the room was still thick and heavy. It was there still.

Hugging his sister Lin rubbed her back. "That was good. Are you ready to do this now?"

Nodding Ling looked up at him as even more tears rushed from her eyes. "When I saw it hurting you….I didn't know what to think. You are the only one I have ever known that understood and doesn't judge me cause of what we can do. I wasn't going to let it take you from me."

Standing with Mai in his arms Naru glared at everyone. "Get everything ready. We do this now."


	12. Ling's Soul Part 9

Two hours later and everyone sat around the things that Yasu and Madoka sent them. Just in the two hours since Mai forced her to say the words, Ling had to admit that she was right. She did feel better. She did feel stronger. She really did feel like they could do this and could really send this thing back to hell where it belonged, erasing the contract her great grandmother made with it.

"You alright?"

Smiling over at Mai, Ling nodded. "I am actually. How did you know if I said those things that it would help me feel stronger like we could do this?"

Sitting next to her as Monk lit the last of the candles. "I don't know. Naru and Lin say that it is something to do with my subconscious mind being more perceptive or something like that. I describe it as more of a feeling in my very core."

Reaching over and taking her hand Ling smiled even brighter. "Whatever it is, I am glad you have it."

"Me too."

"It's time."

Standing between Ling and Naru, everyone joined hands. Next to Lin was Ayako, then Monk, then Mei, then John, Masako, Naru, Mai and Ling. Looking down Mai took in a shaky breath. She really hoped that this worked.

"John. Start."

Nodding as he bowed his head, John closed his eyes. "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. Most glorious Prince of the Heavenly Armies, Saing Michael the Archangel. Devend us in our battle against principalities and powers. Against the rulers of this world of darkness. Against the spirits of wickedness in the high places."

Everyone tensed when the growling was back. Naru turned to Ayako. "Miss Matsuzaki the barrier."

Nodding as she too closed her eyes and bowed her head Ayako focused her energy, drawing on the trees around the home. "I call on the spirits of the trees. Shield us from darkness and deliver us into the light."

Ling looked to the window and gasped as a swirl of white light flew from the trees spinning around them, their hair whipping in the wind caused by it. When she felt herself start to shake she felt the two hands holding hers tighten. She looked first at Mai who smiled and winked at her. Then she looked up into her brother's eyes. They were calm and stern. A resolve in them that she hadn't seen for a very long time.

"Monk."

Nodding as he closed his eyes, Monk let go of Mei and Ayako's hands and stepped into the circle as the two girls grabbed each other's hands. Holding his hands in a prayer position, he began to recite the prayer for the Buddhist Exorcism. "On sunba nisunba un bazara un hatta. Jaku un ban koku on dakini shara kyara heigi yaya. Namumaku san manda bazaradan kan."

Reciting over and over again, John and Monk didn't stop. Even when the sound of a cackle could be heard echoing through the room. Mai looked up then gasped as her eyes went wide. There standing in the door was the still battered and bruised pregnant great grandmother of Lin and Ling! "That's her!"

Everyone, save Monk and John turned and saw the witch smiling with evil red eyes in the door. Lin glared at her. "You have some nerve."

"That girl's soul is gone. You can thank your great grandfather and his traitorous ways. I will see my curse fulfilled!"

"Not if we send it back to hell first!"

The same evil cackling sound echoed through the room once more as she vanished. "This is only prolonging what will happen!"

Shaking when the loud booms started to echo through the room Ling started shaking. She wondered if they really could do this or not? 'Can I really do this? I didn't think that my ancestor was going to be here!'

Looking over at her Mai smiled as she winked at her. "You can do this Ling. Remember, you aren't the vengeful woman that your great grandmother was. Neither your brother, nor anyone else here will judge you because of what you can or cannot do. You can do this!"

Her eyes meeting Mai's, Ling let tears fall as her hair whipped around her face. "What if it isn't enough?"

"It will be more than enough. You will see. If you want I can say it with you."

"Would you?"

Nodding, Mai turned and closed her eyes, as did Ling. Both drew in a large breath, then looked down at the plaque that Ling had to read from. And in perfect unison, as if only one body and mind they began to read the mantra that was there. "I call forth the demon from hell. Head my words and show yourself. I command the!"

The two girls let out startled screams as the laughing witch stopped and they could feel her eyes on them, then a sudden boom on the barrier. Holding each other's hands tighter, they took a shaky breath as the looked up to see the demon materializing in front of them. "I order you to be gone! To the original form of the pact! You no longer have hold over me! You will not take my soul! Find the witch whom cast this curse, and take her soul and magic to hell with you!"

There was a sudden updraft of wind as everything started flying through the room. Mai closed her eyes when she heard the same blood curdling screams of agony from the witch, and the no relenting demonic growling. The floors were vibrating. The windows were blown out. Doors slamming shut and open. The dishes were all slung out of the cabinets, the doors to the cabinets slamming open and shut.

Then almost as if someone threw a light switch everything was quiet. The air around them was light and felt good. Everyone stopped and looked around to see everything still and quiet. Mai looked up at Naru who glanced to Masako as he let go of her hand. "Anything?"

Masako gave him a pitiful look, then sighed when his never changed. "No. I do not sense or…" Then she stopped as she turned to the door. "There are two. One looks like the witch, and the other is Zhao. The man who came to me and bid me come here."

Everyone looked at the door and gasped when they too saw them standing just outside. Mai let go of Ling's hand and clung to Naru's arm. "That's them."

Looking right in her eyes, Zhao smiled to Ling then Mai. "Thank you both. Ling alone had the power to dispel the spell because she bore her great grandmother's name." Then he turned soft eyes and smile to his wife. "I fell in love with this woman who is my wife. Because of her kind and sweet nature. Because of how she made the light in my life shine bright. The first test of that love and devotion and I failed." Turning to look Lin in the eyes he smiled as he gave a sharp nod. "I am thankful that the Ling of your generation had someone who did not shun her for what she can do. I should have stood beside my love and not killed her for something I did not understand."

Smiling now as she reached out and grabbed Ling's hand, Mai looked him in the eye. "She has more than her brother to stand beside her now."

With the same sweet smile as he looked down at the wife he remembered, Zhao let a hand rest on her eternally pregnant stomach. "I wish I had the same open mind my great grandson and his friends do then. I could have had a daughter, and many more years with my wife. A mistake I paid for in the eyes of Buddha in death."

"What happened?"

Turning to Mai, Xiahou Bu smiled. "For my crimes against my wife, who had repentant her magic and the only four times she used it since we met for good, I was exiled. Condemned to wonder the earth, and watch as my actions affected my family. However, when you stood up to the demon, it gave me the chance I needed to pull the Ling Su I wed out of the evil spirit. We will be spending eternity together in the Heavens thanks to all of you helping her."

Everyone gasped when the Ling Su that was at Xiahou Bu's side was gone and then standing right next to Ling. Looking in the young girls black eyes that mirrored her own, Ling Su reached out and brushed her bangs from her eyes. "Your strength and faith in other is what lead the win in this battle. True strength is when you depend on someone else. Having faith in them, and believing in them, makes you stronger so you can stand with them, neither behind nor in front of them. Always remember that."

Then in the snap of a finger, they were gone. Mai smiled as she leaned her head on Naru for a moment then looked around the house. "Well I am not going to be sleeping tonight."

Looking at her with blinking eyes, Ling cocked her head to the side. "Why not?"

Moving from Naru and headed for the kitchen Mai sighed. "Gotta to clean it. I know he is just going to destroy it, but I can't hand him the keys with everything destroyed. I already need to figure out what to tell him about the windows getting broken out."

"I'll help."

"Awesome!" Mai then poked her head out the kitchen door to see Ayako sneaking toward the front door. "You will be helping us too right Ayako?"

Turning with an annoyed glare, Ayako sighed. "Damnit. Fine."

Turning to Masako who was still starring at Naru, Mai sighed. "Masako you wanna help us too?"

Giving Mai a glare then turning her head up at her she folded her hands in her kimono. "I will not."

"Okay."

Naru looked at the door to the kitchen, a slight smile for a second at the sound of giggling other than screams for the moment. He then turned to Masako with a emotionless mask. "Miss Hara….."

Giving him her best pitiful look Masako let tears gush from her eyes. "This is real then isn't it? You and Mai? No chance this is a really bad joke?"

Shaking his head Naru crossed his arms. "It is not Miss Hara. This is a standing thing. The attraction to her was instant whereas with you, you tried to force it and that just pushed me further away from you."

Turning with sad eyes as she headed for the door Masako covered her mouth with her hand. "That explains why Mai was rubbing it in that she has you and I do not."

"What?"

Stopping and glaring back at him, Masako whipped her tears from her eyes. "After she passed out how she clung to you like that. I know that is what she is doing. Rubbing it in."

His eyes narrowing into a glare, Naru turned and fully faced her. "Considering what she saw and her state, that was why she was doing so. Before her vision, she told me that she wasn't going to do any more PDA with me other than holding my hand, because she didn't want to hurt you worse. She knew what you wanted from me, and yet still worried about your feelings. Perhaps if you stopped thinking that the world owed you something you might see that."

"I see." Masako kept eye contact with him then turned and rushed from the house.

With a sigh Naru turned and he and Lin started to lift the furniture up. Doing the more heavy stuff, along with Monk and John, while Mei went to help the girls. He smiled when he heard Mai and Ling laughing. "So is she really under your guardianship?"

Nodding with a smile Lin sat the chair up right. "Yes. It won't be for but less than a year. After that I do not know what she is going to do." He then looked up and through the kitchen door to see her smiling and laughing with Mai as Ayako was fuming. "For now seeing her the happy sister again is enough for me."

X

Sitting outside on the porch swing that Naru and Lin fixed, Mai leaned over and snuggled with Naru, both of them had a blanket wrapped around them, and one over them. She felt at peace now. They helped Lin's sister, she was going to get help at the office and a new friend. Other than Masako still mad because she and Naru were a couple, her life was perfect. If she could have Masako back as a friend it would truly be perfect.

"You did good today Mai."

Smiling even brighter as he kissed the top of her head Mai let out a content sigh. "But I didn't really do anything. All I did was give her someone else to lean on other than her brother."

"In this case that was the key. You have proved more and more that you have what it takes to live a life like this one. Ghost Hunting."

Looking up into his beautiful eyes Mai giggled. "Only because of you."

Not missing the chance, Naru leaned in and kissed her lips for a moment then tucked her head under his chin. "But it is a good thing. This is the kind of thing that my family does back home in England."

With a smile, just as the sun was coming up Mai felt her eyes start to pull shut. Curling in closer to him, she sighed. "Well then I get to keep learning about it then don't I?"

Hearing how her breathing slowed and looking down to see her totally relaxed, Naru moved a bit so that they were both more comfortable for her to sleep. "My life would be perfect if you were here Gene. I need to know. Where is your body so I can finally take you home."

X

"Mai. Wake up."

Opening her eyes, Mai found herself sitting next to a fire in an older styled house. She rubbed her eyes as she stretched. "Gene where are you?"

"You are getting better at knowing if it is a dream or reality."

Laughing as she looked up and watched as he walked toward her she smiled as she stood up. "Well this time it wasn't that hard. I fell asleep leaning into your brother's chest on a porch swing in the middle of the woods. Now I am by a lake inside a house by a fire."

Stopping to stand next to her, Gene smiled and gave her a nod. "He is right though. You did good. This whole case centered on Ling believing what she was saying in the ritual. If she didn't believe that it would work, it wouldn't have worked. You were key in that. There is something about you that just draws someone into trusting and believing you no matter what is being faced. I think that is part of the reason Noll has fallen in love with you."

"Noll?"

Smiling Gene laughed as he crossed his arms. "Yes. We were adopted little, and learning English was hard for us. When trying to learn each other's name, I couldn't say Oliver and he couldn't say Eugene. So he just called me Gene, and I called him Noll. It just stuck and that is what everyone, even our parents call us."

"I see."

"That was why when you first called him Naru he seemed a little shocked cause of it." Then Gene turned serious. "I don't know Japan's laws for someone leaving the country without a parent or guardian. Noll will have no problem with it, as Lin is his acting guardian for this trip. You will have to see how things work for you. But I do need you to tell him one thing for me Mai."

Her eyes were dim as she looked down. "You aren't going to tell us where your body is are you?"

Laying his hand on her head he shook his head side to side with a rather sad look. "Tell him where my body is, it isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I will tell him when the time is right."

Looking up at him with rather serious eyes Mai sighed. "But what if since the fact that I am an orphan and have been legally on my own like an adult for two years now, they tell me that I am my own guardian and we can leave for England tomorrow. Would you go ahead and tell us then?"

"No. Being a true spirit that is not here to cause trouble or anything, I am a rare one. There are a few others that I am helping right now, helping them to my brother. I need him to help them. Once he does, and you find out how it works for you to go to England. Then I will tell you where I am."

Nodding as she dropped to her knees by the fire Mai whipped a tear from her face. "I guess that we have to take that. I can't force you to tell me. But I got this feeling that if I told him what you are doing, and that you need his help with it, even if he found your body he would stay long enough to make sure that you were able to crossover and not be left wondering cause you want to help others."

Blinking as he looked down at her, Gene was shocked. He knew his brother though. He doubted that. He had asked him for help with things on other occasions and he refused to help him. "I tell you what Mai. I have a slew of cases. With as thorough as my brother is, it will keep him in Japan for at least another year. They may go longer, so you get him to agree to stay and help and if he does, then I will tell you where I am at that night."

Smiling as she nodded Mai brushed the last of her tears from her face. "Deal."

Gene smiled as he turned and walked away from her, letting her drift back into her black void of sleep. He told her that mostly to make sure that he didn't have to tell her yet. He knew his brother, he hoped he was wrong and he would, but he doubted it. "It is up to you now Noll as to when you find out where my body is."

X

A/N: From now on for Ghost Hunt, I will not be updating it until I have the FULL next case done.


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